George Washington Saunders Hayes

Banner image for George Washington "Wash" Hayes

Washington “Wash” Hayes (also known as “George Washington Hayes,” “George Washington Saunders,” or “Washington Saunders”) was born around 1824 to Glasgow Saunders and Charlotte Hayes. He was enslaved as a child. While still enslaved, he united with his first wife, Laura Hayes, probably sometime around 1854. They had eight known children prior to her probable death about 1875. In 1877, Washington married his second wife Nancy Hunter. They had six known children.

Glasgow Saunders and Washington are listed together on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol. Glasgow was highly paid for this project; his labor was valued at $1.00 per day, double what the labor of most of the enslaved men generated. Peter Saunders and Washington Saunders, listed just below Glasgow, were compensated significantly less, only 15 and 20 cents respectively. Washington’s lower compensation makes sense – he was a child, likely working alongside his father Glasgow.

1834 report with red arrow pointing at Washington Saunders
"Washington Saunders" is shown here in the 1834 Commissioner’s Report.

Washington was likely enslaved as a child by Romulus Saunders. Romulus was a member of North Carolina’s legislature, a Congressman, and one of the appointed commissioners on the Capitol’s construction project. Romulus’s daughter, Nancy, is recorded signing to pick up Peter Saunders’s wages when she herself was 10 years old. It’s possible that Romulus gave enslaved people to his daughter. (For more on the topic of Women Enslavers)
Romulus Saunders’s Raleigh home was Elmwood, a house located off Hillsborough Street a few blocks west of the Capitol. Elmwood was purchased by Romulus Saunders in the early 1830s after he rented the home for a time. The 1830 census showed ten people residing in the home of Romulus Saunders in Wake County and also noted fifteen enslaved people in his household – it’s likely Washington was one of these people.

Photograph of Plantation House, with women standing in yard
This image shows Elmwood and its residents in 1867. Pictured are members of the white Saunders family and Black individuals employed by the family at the time. The people in the photograph are (right to left): Margaret Saunders L’Engle, Julia Saunders Slayton, Anna Johnson Saunders (wife of Romulus Saunders), Lisa L’Engle, William L’Engle, Margaret (a maid), Mom Patsie (a cook), Macy (the butler), Robert (the coachman), and Harp (the yardman). Romulus Saunders is supposedly sitting on the porch in this photo.
Census describing the household of Romulus Saunders
These two images show the census line from 1830 noting that Romulus Saunders had 25 people total in his household in Wake County - 10 white family members and 15 enslaved people.

Though much is unknown about Washington’s early life under slavery, he survived to Emancipation and stayed in Raleigh. A skilled laborer, Washington worked as a stone mason throughout Raleigh, and the 1870 census records him as a “brick mason.” The census also shows Washington living in a household with his wife Laura (age 40), daughters Charlotte (15), Serena (13), and sons Alston (10), Washington (7), and Alexander (2).

george Washington Hayes Census record recording him as a brick mason
The 1870 census lists Washington as a "Brick Mason."

 They are noted as living next door to Charlotte Hayes, age 75 – Washington’s mother. They are also noted living next door to Annie Saunders, the widow of Washington’s probable enslaver, Romulus. In 1870, Washington purchased land in the 800 block of East Hargett Street. He was a member of the Raleigh Land and Building Association, as chartered by local Black politician James Henry Harris. The Raleigh Land and Building Association was a loan cooperative designed to make housing affordable for people across the economic spectrum in Raleigh. Washington was likely able to purchase land because of his participation in this organization.

GW hayes Property deed
This deed shows Washington's purchase on the 800 block of East Hargett Street.
Newspaper clipping describing GW Hayes' leadership position in the Number 4 widows freemason lodge
These two articles describe Washington's promotion to leadership roles within the Free Masons.
GW Hayes Widows Lodge Masonry leadership newspaper article

Washington worked to serve the Raleigh community through charitable work for much of his later life. Beginning in 1871, he held leadership positions in Raleigh’s first group of “Colored” Free Masons – Widows’ Lodge #4. Washington was appointed as the “Junior Warden” (essentially third in command), and in 1872, he was appointed as “Senior Warden” (second in command).

In addition to his community work with the Free Masons, Washington was an active leader with the NC Industrial Association Fair. The NCIA Fair (known as the Industrial Fair and usually referred to as the “Colored Fair”) was held every year for almost fifty years. North Carolina’s Governor typically opened the fair with a speech each year and other notable guest speakers included Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Washington Hayes was appointed chairman of the executive committee in 1879.

George Washinton hayes NCIA Leadership newspaper article
These articles show the leadership roles Washington held in the planning committee for the NCIA fair, and consequently the depth of his community involvement.
George Washinton hayes NCIA Leadership newspaper article

All his life, Washington was a trained and skilled mason. He worked with both brick and stone, and applied his knowledge to lead parts of the construction of Saint Ambrose Church and Benson Library on the Saint Augustine University campus. Washington was integral to the construction of campus building from the beginning. “The corner stone of the Chapel was laid on July 15th, 1895 in the presence of some 94 persons. The stone for the foundation was taken from the grove near the spring on the school ground…” Washington’s efforts were memorialized within the church: “When the pulpit was erected in the chapel it was made a memorial for Mr. Washington Hayes, a communicant in the church who had led the masons in their work.” When working on the chapel at Saint Augustine’s, Washington also served as faculty for the school.

Saint Augustines Brick masonry year book photo
Brick laying class at Saint Augustine’s 1899-1900. Photo likely contains Washington Hayes
Photo of saint augustines chapel
Image of the chapel Washington helped erect.
This map from 1888 shows possible origin of Saint Augustine Chapel cornerstone
This map from 1888 shows possible origin of Saint Augustine Chapel cornerstone
Faculty List from the Saint Augustines Yearbook.
Faculty List from the Saint Augustines Yearbook.

George Washington Hayes died in Raleigh, September 15, 1903 when he was 79 years old. His cause of death was listed as “meningitis.” In 1910, his widow Nancy built a house across the street from the house Washington purchased. She lived there until her death, and the house was deeded to Saint Augustine’s College in the 1970s.  

GW Hayes Obituary
Washington’s obituary describes snippets from his life of community service, and even mentions his childhood involvement with the Capitol’s construction.
George Washinton Hayes Death Certificate
Washington’s death certificate not only shows the brevity of his period of illness before he lost his life to meningitis, but also highlights some of the biographical gaps that exist in the records of formerly enslaved people. Place of birth for both his mother and father was left blank.

A very special thank you to Alan Welsh and to Michelle Mack for their work putting together Washington’s story. 

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