Lydia Pervis lived down the street from us.
Every few days Shelley and I walk down Second Street to get frozen custard (or ice cream as I call it) from Whit’s. On the way we pass the modern office buildings on the 400 block and I often wonder what was there in our earlier years. It turns out that the land was owned by a remarkable woman named Lydia Pervis.
In the July 1967 issue of the Tallow Light, an article written by Grace G. Gibson explores Lydia Pervis and is reprinted in part here:
“This is My Land……”
“A Modest white shaft in the corner of Mound Cemetery, near the intersection of Tupper and Sixth Streets, marks he grave of Lydia Pervis. A woman of color, she was a southern slave who attained freedom and a new life of personal dignity in early Marietta.”
She died in 1853 and her tombstone reads: “Though born in slavery, with a dark skin, Jonas Moore gave her temporal freedom, and Jesus gave her spiritual. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years, and at her death left property to the church worth eight hundred dollars.”
Lydia Pervis came to Marietta and gained her freedom according to the article and in 1832 she purchased nearly and entire city lot on Second Street, what is now the 400 block, except for a small portion belonging to the Methodist Society. Grace Gibson describes to moment:
“It is not difficult to imagine her emotion of the moment. Ownership of property was the final, physical guarentee of her equality. The land was something that she could see and touch with her hands. She could say to herself in truth, ‘This belongs to Me — to Me alone”. Her gratitude to her maker, and to his human instruments who made the miracle possible, must have been boundless.”
At the end of her life she left her estate to the church, who then assigned George M. Woodbridge to execute the trust set up by Lydia Pervis.
Ms. Pervis is one of many prominent citizens of Washington County to be buried in Mound Cemetery. Currently the Washington County Historical Society is in the process of identifying damaged or missing stones in Mound Cemetery, and will add new stones to as many of the graves as funds will allow. These new, smaller stones, will be placed nest to the existing stones.
Mike Ryan, WCHS Trustee is coordinating the project and is making good progress in determining the identity and need for new stones. Funds from the sale of the Mound Cemetery book, and other donations are being used to fund the project. More donations and volunteer’s time would be much appreciated.
