Ona Judge fled enslavement in the Washington home in 1796 and came to coastal New Hampshire. On Sunday, July 4th at 1:00 p.m. her brave story will be dramatized on the grounds of the Gov. John Langdon House. (Contuned below)

Following the performance, produced by Sandi Clark and Jukwaa Mazoa Theatre Productions, a panel including scholars of African American history and literature of the eighteenth century will explore the meaning of freedom, and how stories like Ona’s have shaped the world we live in today.

The event is presented by the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail and Historic New England in celebration of their fifteenth and one-hundredth anniversaries, respectively. Admission is free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

As one of Martha Washington’s enslaved body servants, Ona was her seamstress and she was responsible for dressing, bathing, and primping the First Lady. When Ona, also called "Oney," reached Portsmouth, John Langdon lent a hand in securing her freedom.

For this abridged production Cyrus de Bruce, John Langdon's head butler, will be played by Portsmouth actor Kevin Wade Mitchell. Denise Richardson of Northwood will play Dame Sally, a free black woman who has taken Ona under her wings since arriving in New Hampshire. Ona Marie Judge will be played by Jukwaa Mazoa’s producer, Sandi Clark of Newington. Stan Zabecki of Portsmouth will round out the cast in the role of Burwell Bassett, Martha Washington's nephew, sent to capture Ona and return her to the president’s household.

As the nation celebrates freedom on Independence Day, we celebrate the personal quest for freedom of Ona Judge. The Gov. John Langdon House will be open for tours.

Historic New England's houses in New Hampshire are open from June 1 through October 15. The Governor Langdon House is open Friday through Sunday, with tours given every hour on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information please call (603) 436 3205 or visit our website