Monday Robinson: A Life of Thorns and Roses

Monday Robinson: A Life of Thorns and Roses explores freedom, resilience, and survival in early America through the life of one extraordinary man.  

Monday Robinson was born in 1778. Primary-source documents trace his life through Virginia counties, including Lancaster, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Middlesex, Prince William, Fauquier, Essex, Loudoun, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Alexandria, as well as from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The exhibit guides visitors through these records which reveal Robinson’s connections to enslaved and free women in Alexandria, Virginia, and to his later life in Middletown, Frederick County. Robinson was active in the community and conducted business with Belle Grove Plantation. He also enslaved his family as a way to protect them against harsh laws dictating the lives of free persons of color.

The exhibit is the culmination of 16 years of research by Char McCargo-Bah, an investigative researcher and genealogist and Monday Robinson descendant, Fran Burton. Historian and genealogist, Brenda Nelson joined the team to research Monday Robinson's life in the Shenandoah Valley. They brought the idea of creating and hosting an exhibit to Kristen Laise, Executive Director of Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown. In collaboration with team,  Jess Pritchard-Ritter of For the Love of History, LLC wrote and designed the exhibit panels.    

The exhibit will be on view at Belle Grove from Saturday, September 26, 2-4 p.m. to Wednesday, October 14 before traveling to other museums and libaries in Virginia. Click here for Belle Grove's hours of operation. 

From October 22-December 31, 2026 the exhibit will be on view at:

Freedom House Museum
1315 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

The museum hours are:
Thursday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday 1–5 p.m.

Please check this page for other 2027 exhibit locations. 

This exhibit was made possible by Crescent Cities Charities and private donations.