UMass Magazine Online

Summer 2003

Departments

Around the Pond

Features

The Vast Area of Small

Tiny couch potatoes

Pumped-up Roosters

The pervasive presence of microbes

At-risk Native Talk

Our giant in hedge funds

Around the Pond

Digging for answers at Du Bois' home

– Leslie Wolfe




	FIELD TRIP: Robert Paynter explores the homesite with symposium attendees. (photo by Ben Barnhart)

SECOND-GROWTH FOREST, A CELLAR HOLE, a crumbling chimney – common sights on a New England ramble – but not so common for a National Historic Landmark, yet that is exactly the state of the W.E.B. Du Bois Boyhood Homesite. Located in Great Barrington, the farm belonged to members of Du Bois family for over 125 years, up into the early 1900’s. The place was deeded back to Du Bois in 1928, and for many years, it was his summer home until events and age made his visits impractical and new owners demolished the house.

The site is not entirely abandoned, though. Professor Robert Paynter M.A. ’75, Ph.D. ’80 and others from the anthropology department have been busy the past few years assessing the site and collecting artifacts. Even before beginning any major archeological excavations, they’ve collected over 12,000 items – important clues to the lives of the people who lived there.

When a more extensive excavation of the site has been completed, UMass will help the Commonwealth and the W.E.B. Du Bois Foundation draw up plans to develop the site, with the overall intention of educating people about Du Bois and commemorating his life. Ideas abound as to the best use of the site – should the visitor’s center be a round, West-African dwelling like those found in Ghana where Du Bois died? Or should the original dwelling be replicated? These questions and many more will be answered in the years to come – likely, as with all things related to Du Bois, only after lively and prolonged debate.

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