Cesar and Lowis Peters Archaeological Site

The Story of Cesar and Lowis Peters

The Cesar and Lowis Peters Archaeological Site in Hebron, Connecticut, is an integral part of the Connecticut Freedom Trail. It tells the story of Cesar and Lowis Peters, African Americans who lived in Hebron during the late 18th century, offering insights into Connecticut’s slavery history and the changing attitudes towards race, slavery, and freedom during the Revolutionary era.

Cesar’s Early Life and Enslavement

Cesar arrived in Hebron as a child around 1758, initially enslaved by Mary Peters and later by Reverend Samuel Peters. Samuel’s departure to London in 1774 led Cesar and Lowis to build their family on Peters’s estate. However, financial troubles in 1787 led Samuel Peters to sell his assets, including enslaved individuals like Cesar, Lowis, and their children. They were forcibly taken by a slave trader to South Carolina. Fortunately, they were later freed due to a cunning plan by their neighbors, who thought their kidnapping was unjust.

The Preservation of the Site

The Cesar and Lowis Peters Archaeological Site includes the house where they lived, which remained a family home until 1967 and was acquired by the Town of Hebron in 2004. The site’s inclusion on the Connecticut Freedom Trail highlights the local community’s efforts, including descendants of Cesar and Lowis Peters, advocating for its preservation as a historic landmark.

This site is open to the public.