In 1870, Henry and Kitty Wilson, both formerly enslaved persons, bought land and built a substantial house on the main road into Galesville. They were among only a few African Americans to own land at this time in the State of Maryland. In the tumultuous years of Reconstruction and of the Jim Crow Era, the Wilson family and heirs helped establish a n African-American community that still thrives n Galesville today.
Proving to be poor soil for farming, Wilson’s son, Richard, abandoned farming on the property around 1915, and transformed it into a baseball field for the Galesville Hot Sox, a local semi-professional Negro league team. They competed against other sandlot teams throughout Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties and even played against teams from the Negro Professional League. While a place for sport, the ballfield was also an important community gathering place during segregation. The players and their families worked at Woodfield Fish & Oyster Company, attended the adjacent Rosenwald School, worshipped at Ebenezer church, and lived on West Benning Road. The house was stabilized and mothballed in 2011, and awaits further restoration, while the ball field is currently undergoing a rehabilitation while remaining true to its historic roots.
Wilson House and Galesville Hot Sox Ballfield
Saving the Henry Wilson House & the Galesville Hot Sox Ballfield
