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"Where Your Words Give You Wings"

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An American Indian Woman in captivity begged by her master to marry him of her own "free will" 1699.

     Hugh A. Winfree, Jr., The James at Mayo's Bridge,             Oil on Canvas, 1960 

A Single Rose...

                     Bank of Virginia                         Three Dollar Bank Note

 Star of David

           Joseph Marx 1772 - 1840           Hailed Among a Handful of Prominent Families of the Jewish Community in Richmond, Virginia & a Founder of  Beth Shalome, now Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalome Synagogue. 

         Moses Joseph Sylvester Marx                             1866- 1941                    Moses is the Great - Grandson to Joseph Marx of Richmond, Virginia born 1772, a Jewish banker who married Richea Myers Marx of New York, born 1769.  Moses spearheaded the founding of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, the first of it's kind for People of Color in the South.

         St. Joseph's Catholic Church                        Deed Signed 1884 by                   Bishop John Keane 

Richmond, VA the bank of Powhatan,        View from Old Manchester's       Rocky Ridge/Marx Addition.

  The river originally named Powhatan is known now as the James.

Virginia Swann Marx taught children of American Indian, African American, and Caucasian Ethnicity on the campus of St. Emma's Military Academy for boys and St. Francis de Sales for girls known now as Belmead  in Powhatan, Virginia.

 

Virginia "Jennie" Swann Marx Original Teacher's Certificate 1892

Richmond, Virginia Rail Transit   1920's cir

                           Hugh A. Winfree, Jr.,                                                      'Wheels on Main',                         Scrap tin, metal, and wood train, 1982 

 Helen Winfree Peyton Wallace,       The first Black teacher to teach at an all White School, Westhampton Elementary in September of 1965 & the first to serve as President of the Richmond Education Association for Elementary Education in Richmond, Virginia; giving 44 years of service.      

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Blood Of A Rose Vol 1, Ch. 1.mp3

Ole' Virginia's Antebellum  

Secret Map of 1769 

The Banks at James River's Bend, late 1600's cir.

       Haitian Sugar Cane Plantation      1700's cir.

The Box That Holds The Secrets     Now Will Be Revealed! 

The Book Holds The Family Secrets That Were Buried Deep

NOW REVEALED! 

 James River & Kanawha Canal Co.

   Evacuation Fire of Richmond 1865  The Height of the Civil War 

     Virginia Swann Marx  1875-1908      A licensed educator for the Commonwealth of Virginia  Powhatan Free Schools 1892. 

Picture taken by James Conway Farley, a renown Photographer and owner of the Jefferson Art Gallery.

This original photo is maintained by Honor House Foundation, Inc.

 James Conway Farley, Photographer

(l-r) Virginia Marx Wilkerson, Agnes Marx Winfree, Hugh A. Winfree, Sr., & Charles Wilkerson 

Picture Dated: Cira 1950's  

Astoria Beneficial Club est. 1901

            LaVerne & Hugh Winfree,            Artists, Ministers & Philanthropists

    Hugh A. Winfree, Jr, 1950's        posing with his art

The Seventh Generation Speaks 

Official I Am Richmond.mp3

 

 

 "Blood of a Rose" 

Book Series: Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

About the Author 

Honor Winfree Benson is a native of Richmond, Virginia and cum laude graduate of Virginia Union University; an author, family archivist, oral historian expert, genealogist, publisher, wife, and an inspirational - trendsetter for others to also document their family's oral history.   

As a child, she enjoyed hearing about her family's history and practiced reciting the history back to the elders of her family at family get- togethers, over dinner, to her close friends, and private school classmates. As an adult, Honor realized that her family's history is more broadly Richmond, Virginia's History, America's History, of which, these details have never been published or really shared outside of her family. 

These stories are in fact, the true history that connects the American Indian, Black, White, Scots-Calvinist, Catholic, Pentecostal, Episcopal, and Jewish, communities of Richmond, Virginia; The Capital of the Confederacy. Honor is pleased to share this history, documentation, works of art, original photographs, and her family's archive, which have been hidden, until now. 

In her own words she states the following, "The link and legacy of the living, where two worlds are really, simply one. These are the history books you never knew existed!"

                Honor House Media Productions

 Ellen Glasgow, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author of the 19th Century & Daughter of Francis Thomas Glasgow, who managed Tredegar Iron Works.

       East Main Street Richmond, Virginia 1900 cir.

Tredegar Iron Works, Managed by Ellen Glasgow's Father - Francis Thomas Glasgow for over 50 years

   Sallie Booker Funn Swann, born around 1849, was a slave until the age of 12, yet spoke French & English and was an excellent seamstress & dress maker. She encouraged the value of education  and economic stabilization.

  With her husband, Richard a shoemaker, they raised their one and only daughter who was a licensed teacher.  Sallie taught her daughter and grandchildren to speak French and play musical instruments. 

      Richard  Swann, born 1830, a           Shoemaker, whom was given this         skill by his father, a slave master.     Mr. Swann set up his boot & shoe making business in Downtown Richmond.   

Martha Thompson & Warren Kersey

Jackson Ward's Residents Knew How to Enjoy Life!

Astoria Wives Club, a civic and social              "sister" organization of               Astoria Beneficial Club, Founded on August 8, 1901 at the home of Christoper F. Foster.  The Astoria Beneficial Club continues to grant college scholarships, make annual financial awards to NAACP, United Negro College Fund, United Way Services, and Virginia Union University in addition to a host of many other community outreach projects.  Yet, the Astoria Beneficial Club is best known for making their     "stamp" in Jackson Ward with the                         erection of the                        Bill "Bojangles" Robinson statue.

  Agnes Marx Winfree, is shown second (2nd) from left February 8, 1964; Richmond Afro Newspaper

 Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Statue    Located in Jackson Ward      Richmond, Virginia.

Jackson Ward home of free Blacks, Enslaved, European immigrants, and Jewish residences.  Jackson Ward named after Giles B. Jackson, the first Black Lawyer certified to argue before the Supreme Court of Appeals & Founded the National Negro Business League in Boston.  

            Jackson Ward coined                 "The Black Wall  Street of the South".

Listen to the Sounds of the Ringing of the Great, Great Bells!