The following enslaved men built and sustained the Capitol from 1831 until 1865:
William Abott – George Andrews – James Andrews – Simon Andrews – Arthur Baker – Buck Baker – Ephraim Baker – Tom Battle – Henry Blount – Junius Brickle – Gilbert Buffalo – Clayton Cannon – Stepney Cannon – Dick Coman – Henderson Coman – Ingram Coman – John Coman – Matthew Coman – Sam Coman – Anderson Cooke – Benjamin Cooke – Edmund Cooke – Horace Cooke – Robert Cooke – Buck Cotton – Daniel Cotton – Riddick Cotton – Sampson Cotton – Wiley Cotton – James Curtis – Burrell Dilliard – John Dilliard – Boston Finch – Henry Ford – William Ford – Peter Gaddy – Anthony Gales – Sam Gales – John Geddy – Roger Haley – Isaac Harrison – Isam Harrison – Peter Harrison – Phill Harrison – Tim Harrison – Abraham Haywood – Anderson Haywood – Cato Haywood – Charles Haywood – Elich Haywood – Henry Haywood – Jacob Stanley – John Haywood – Joseph Haywood – Moses Haywood – Peter Haywood – Phillip Haywood – Rochester Haywood – Sam Haywood – Sandy Haywood – Wiley Haywood – Jack High – Jim High – Anderson Hill – Washington Hill – Bob Hinton – Henry Hinton – Jerry Hinton – Abraham Hunt – Peter Hunter – Pompey Hunter – Allen Hutchings – Ned Hutchins – Sam Hutchins – Dick Jones – Friday Jones – Logan Jones – Roger Kelly – Lunsford Lane – Handy Lockhart – John M’Pheeters – Simon M’Pheeters – Henry Marshall – Beverly Morning – Edmund Nichols – Fountain Nichols – Sandy Nichols – Taylor Nichols – Thomas Nichols – William Nichols – Yancy Nichols – John Noyes – Nat Peck – Ned Peck – Anderson Phillips – Willis Polk – William Pruitt – Wesley Pulham – Bob Pulliam – Ivan Robinson – Glasgow Saunders – Henry Saunders – Peter Saunders – Washington Saunders – Jordan Spruill – Caesar Stone – David Stone – George Stone – Giles Stone – Nelson Stone – Reuben Stone – Robin Stone – Nathan Stuart – Isham Terrell – Garland Terry – Richard Terry – Horace Thomas – Joseph Thomas – Joshua Thompson – Alston Tucker – Unnamed – Lewis Ward – Alfred Wheaton – Andrew Whitaker – Frank Whitaker – Madison William – August Williams – Elisha Williams – Evans Williams – Tom Williams – William Winters – Phill Womble – Frank Wrinn – Squire Wrinn – Daniel Young – Isham Young – Joseph Young
Alfred Wheaton
Alfred Wheaton was born around 1807. Though we don’t know much about his early life, we know at some point Alfred married his wife Olive Wheaton. In the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol, he was listed as a “laborer.” His work generated $.50 per day.
Andrew Whitaker
In the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol, Andrew Whitaker was listed as a “laborer.” His work generated $.50 per day. Andrew likely did not keep that money; we have documentation that shows his enslaver asking for the money Andrew made. Most enslaved people were not able to retain the money their labor generated.
Arthur Baker
Arthur Baker was born around 1788. In 1834, he was listed in the Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol as a “laborer” compensated $.50 per day. Arthur was not able to keep the money his labor generated; it went to his enslaver, Dr. Simmons Jones Baker.
Boston Finch
Boston Finch was born around 1800. Though we are unsure of many details of his early life, at some point he married his wife Harriett. He was listed on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol as a “laborer” compensated $.50 per day. Like most of the enslaved people on the Capitol project, Boston’s enslaver likely kept the money Boston’s labor generated.
Cato Haywood
In the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol, Cato Haywood was listed as a “laborer,” generating $.50 per day.
Friday Jones
Most of what we know about Friday comes from his 1883 autobiography Days of Bondage: Autobiography of Friday Jones, Being a Brief Narrative of his Tirals and Tribulations in Slavery. Friday was born enslaved in Wake County.
Giles Stone
Giles Stone was born on October 9th, 1815. His enslaver Sarah Stone listed his birthday on an 1819 list found in her journal. In the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol, Giles was listed as a “quarryman.” When he began working at the Capitol, he was about 18 years old.
Glasgow Saunders
Glasgow Saunders was listed 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.
Handy Lockhart
Cabinetmaker Handy Lockhart (sometimes recorded as “Lockett” or “Locket”) helped craft more than 170 pieces of furniture, namely desks, chairs, and tables, for use in the House and Senate Chambers. He was a well-connected, politically active man of faith in the years after he gained his freedom.
Ingram Coman
Ingram Coman was listed on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol. Ingram was listed on the Capitol project as a “laborer” and was compensated $.50 per day.
James Curtis
We don’t know a lot about James beyond his name and the name of his enslaver. James’s name appeared in the 1834 May Time Books as a “quarry hand.” In order to provide building materials to the Capitol project, the state operated a granite quarry about a mile and a half southeast of the construction site – James worked at this quarry.
Junius Brickle
Based on later records, we think Junius Brickle was born around 1806 to Bill Holmes and Nancy Brickle. He is listed on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol. The report lists him as a “laborer,” and he was compensated $.50 per day. Though we don’t know much about Junius’ early life, we do think at some point he was married to Delia Leach.
Lunsford Lane
Lunsford Lane was born enslaved in Raleigh on May 30, 1803. Lunsford was the only child of Clarissa and Edward Lane. Edward was enslaved originally by Colonel Joel Lane. Following Joel Lane’s death, Edward was willed to his wife Mary and then eventually bought by State Treasurer John Haywood.
Ned Peck
A slave schedule from the 1850 federal census lists the person we believe to be Ned as 48 years old, so it is likely that Ned was born around 1802. Ned’s name appears on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol as a “quarryman.” The state operated a quarry, which was positioned about a mile and a half southeast of the construction site.
Pompey Hunter
In the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol, Andrew Whitaker was listed as a “laborer.” His work generated $.50 per day. Andrew likely did not keep that money; we have documentation that shows his enslaver asking for the money Andrew made. Most enslaved people were not able to retain the money their labor generated.
Tim Harrison
Tim Harrison was born around 1795. It is possible in his early life he was enslaved by a man named Dr. Simmons Baker (Simmons Baker also enslaved Arthur Baker, another worker on the Capitol’s construction project. For more information on Arthur, click here). Tim’s name appears on the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol. Tim is listed on the Capitol project as a “laborer” and his enslavers were compensated $.50 per day for Tim’s work.
Unnamed
In the 1834 Report of the Commissioners appointed to superintend the re-building of the State Capitol, Andrew Whitaker was listed as a “laborer.” His work generated $.50 per day. Andrew likely did not keep that money; we have documentation that shows his enslaver asking for the money Andrew made. Most enslaved people were not able to retain the money their labor generated.
