gilbert hunt
editGilbert Hunt, the City Blacksmith (summary)[1]
Born c. 1780 in King William County, VA
Taken to Richmond when owner's daughter was married
Learned carriage making; during War of 1812 worked for the army as a blacksmith; guarded owner's property.
Sold twice more; bought his freedom for $800; took 8-month trip to Africa
Gilbert Hunt, the City Blacksmith (1859 pamphlet by Philip Barrett, 1838-1900); scanned text [2]
Details about Hunt's life and the two fires in which he served to rescue people
Died 1863
Virginia memory: Gilbert Hunt and the Richmond theater Fire [3]
Classroom lesson sketch; has picture from LVa special collection
Richmond Then and Now - newspaper article (T-D, 1937) about the Richmond theater fire [4]
Picture of Gilbert Hunt, VCU Digital Library [5]
First African Baptist Church [6]
Small paragraph about Gilbert Hunt, who was a member.
Haunted Richmond: The Shadows of Shockoe, by Scott and Sandi Bergman (Google Books) [7]
Good account of the whole incident of the fire
Barton Heights Cemeteries [8]
Gilbert Hunt buried in Union Mechanics Burial Ground in Richmond.