Church to Rebury Enslaved Africans Near Kingsmill
The Episcopal Church will hold a service in Williamsburg before reinterring remains of enslaved Africans at Kingsmill on the James on Monday.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in African-American
The Episcopal Church will reinter the remains of enslaved Africans at Kingsmill on the James on Monday, November 2, 2026, after a liturgical service at Bruton Parish in Williamsburg. The remains and burial objects belonged to enslaved Africans who were part of one of the earliest communities in colonial Virginia.
Why it matters
The reinterment returns remains uncovered during 1990s excavations to a formal burial site with a memorial marking the gravesite. The service is open to the public.
Excavations uncovered remains of 25 people, including 13 children, along with glass beads and clay pipes indicating West African traditions. The extraction does not specify further analysis results or pending findings.
The players
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
The regional diocese of the Episcopal Church whose history records the ancestors whose remains are being reinterred.
Smithsonian Institution
The national museum and research body that retained a small sample of remains from the Utopia site for further study.
The details
A liturgical service titled 'Lament, Repent, Reconcile, Heal' begins at 10 a.m. at Bruton Parish, followed by a burial service at Kingsmill on the James. Remains were excavated from a part of Kingsmill once called Utopia Quarters, and a small sample was kept for study and ended up at the Smithsonian Institution.
Timeline
1990s: Archaeological excavations uncovered remains at Kingsmill's Utopia Quarters.
1997: Most remains were reinterred 250 feet east of the bluffs.
Monday, November 2, 2026, 10 a.m.: Liturgical service at Bruton Parish in Williamsburg.
Historical Record
The reinterment follows the 1997 reburial of most remains 250 feet east of the bluffs at Kingsmill, the site excavated in the 1990s. Remains retained by the Smithsonian Institution remain in its collection.
Virginia residents can attend the public liturgical service at Bruton Parish in Williamsburg starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026. The memorial marking the gravesite at Kingsmill on the James is accessible to the public.
The takeaway
Residents interested in colonial-era history can attend the public service to learn about the earliest communities of enslaved Africans in Virginia.
What happens next
The Episcopal Church will hold the Monday, November 2, 2026 liturgical service at Bruton Parish and burial service at Kingsmill on the James.
Further reading
Explore more on African-American history and heritage across Virginia.
