SACRED LEGACY ARCHIVES™
Mary S. Peake
1823-01-01 – 1862-01-01
Life & Legacy
Mary Smith Peake, born Mary Smith Kelsey (1823 – February 22, 1862), was an American teacher, humanitarian and a member of the black elite in Hampton, best known for starting a school for the children of former slaves starting in the fall of 1861 under what became known as the Emancipation Oak tree in present-day Hampton, Virginia near Fort Monroe. The first teacher hired by the American Missionary Association, she was also
associated with its later founding of Hampton University in 1868.
Occupation & Career
teacher, educator
Sources & Provenance
- Wikidata population candidate Q3850502 — wikidata View source
Are you related to Mary S. Peake?
Family members can contribute records, photographs and stories or request stewardship of this legacy.