With support from Mass Humanities’ Expand Massachusetts Stories Initiative, Wellspring House has completed a full, curriculum-aligned educational program sharing the story of the Freeman family – descendants of Robin Freeman, formerly enslaved near Wellspring, who became free landowners in West Gloucester as early as 1802. 

Working with racial equity educator and longtime community partner Toni Waldron, Wellspring developed a complete three-part Freeman Family Curriculum for grades 3–5, paired with a rich set of teaching tools that give educators multiple entry points – visual, interactive, and narrative – for teaching this history. The program includes an educational and experiential tour of the Davis-Freeman House, Wellspring’s own historic home, adaptable for both elementary students and adults. 

Alongside the curriculum, Wellspring built a complete educator training program, including a training slide deck, manual, and survey, piloted and tested with staff and volunteers. Results were reviewed and used to refine the materials, so the program isn’t just written, but proven in practice with real educators. 

This work builds on Wellspring’s first Expand Massachusetts Stories grant, which established the History Lives Here exhibit and first brought the Freeman family’s story to public attention. By extending that foundation, this project deepens public engagement with their contributions, struggles, and legacy on Cape Ann and with the broader, often-overlooked history of Black families in the region. 

This project simply would not have been possible without the support of Mass Humanities. We are deeply grateful to be part of such an innovative program, one that is helping communities across the Commonwealth surface and share stories that have too often gone untold. Launched in 2021, the Expand Massachusetts Stories grant program funds projects that collect, interpret, and share authentic narratives about Massachusetts, with a priority on historically excluded, unrecognized, or underrepresented voices – work that sits at the very heart of the Freeman House Project. 

What’s next: Wellspring is now launching an ongoing educational initiative including onsite tours, mobile workshops, school field trips, and community events, to bring the Freeman family’s story to a wider audience. This next phase builds on Wellspring’s commitment to regularly share this history in partnership with local organizations, alongside continued historical and genealogical research and expanded descendant outreach.