
We are a collaboration of churches from across three towns in southwestern Connecticut seeking to explore the history of slavery in colonial Connecticut and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities. In a program specially designed for us and led by The Witness Stones Project, Inc., youth gathered with community leaders for three sessions on Wednesday evenings in March 2023 to learn about slavery in New England.
With the assistance of local historian and Wilton archivist Julie Hughes, the Project provided us with local archival research, youth and leader development, a classroom curriculum, and public programming to help students discover and chronicle the local history of slavery. Youth and their leaders then met in April 2023 to compose narratives through story, music, drama, poetry, and/or video to tell the story of an enslaved person through these primary documents. We will come together for our final presentation. These will be presented along with the placement of a Witness Stone Memorial™ that will honor the enslaved individual we will focus on – where he lived, work, or worshipped – in a public ceremony to be held in June.
Funding has been provided by the sponsoring faith communities as part of acknowledging their complicity in issues of injustice towards those who were enslaved, many of whom had an integral part in the building and service to the early founders of their churches.
Our youth have completed their research and we are pleased to announce the Installation Ceremony to honor John C. Wally, an enslaved person who lived in Wilton from 1803-1848. He has a remarkable story – so please join us at the unveiling of his Witness Stone!

About Us
Learn about the communities and leaders who are collaborating on this project:
Get In Touch
Leader coordinator: Sharon Pearson, sharonepearson@gmail.com (203) 984-1228
Drop By
WEPCO (St. Matthew’s & Wilton Presbyterian church complex)
48 New Canaan Rd.
Wilton, CT 06897