She purchased land just south of the university in 1833 — free, Black, in a neighborhood called Canada where free African Americans owned property and made their living serving the university community. The site archaeologists found in 1993 holds the foundation of her home, a brick-lined well, the likely remains of a smokehouse, and the family cemetery. Steel framing now traces the house's footprint. Nearly three-quarters of an acre survived. It was listed on the National Register in 2016 — the last remnant of Canada.
Quick facts
- ·Documents the service relationship between free African Americans and UVA in the pre- and post-Civil War eras.
Memories
Be the first to leave a memory at Catherine 'Kitty' Foster Site.
Sign in to see memories your family has left at this place.
Editorial content compiled with AI assistance. Place details verified against public records.
