Savoy Family Genealogical Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of genealogical information related to the Savoy family of Washington, DC, obtained from family members’ records and research. It documents members of the Savoy family born between the years of 1794 and 2009; however, most of the material and information within the collection pertains to Savoy family ancestors born between 1794 and 1912. The life of Edward Augustine Savoy (1855 - 1943) is particularly well-documented. The collection includes materials such as biographical sketches; family trees; timelines; photographs; bound books; and photocopies and printouts of pertinent documents like census records, obituaries and newspaper articles, book excerpts, church records, letters, and text from relevant websites. No original artifacts (only photocopies/prints) appear in the collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1836-2013
Creator
- Savoy family (Family)
- Wright, Patricia Annette Green (Person)
- Rogers, Wilbur Joseph Duplessis, III (Person)
- Savoy, Lauret E. (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Use
Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron’s obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in this collection.
Biographical / Historical
The Savoy family is a prominent African American family in the Washington, DC area and can trace its roots to the 1790s. Savoy family members of note include Edward Louis Savoy (1825 - 1866) and his wife, Elizabeth E. Van Rhodia Butler (1827 - 1906), who were free African Americans well before the Civil War and worked on the Underground Railroad; Edward Augustine Savoy (1855 - 1943), State Department employee and namesake of the S. S. Edward A. Savoy; Alfred Kiger Savoy (1883 - 1964), for whom Savoy Elementary School in Southeast Washington, DC is named; and Willard Wilson “Chip” Savoy (1916 - 1976), author of Alien Land.
The original Savoy family gravesite is located at Historic Woodlawn Cemetery. Savoy family members are also buried at Rock Creek Cemetery, Harmony National Cemetery, and Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.
Source(s): Savoy Family Genealogical Collection, various documents
Extent
1.25 Linear feet
2 Boxes
Arrangement
Research Files (1836 - 2013)
This series contains genealogical material and information related to the Savoy family of Washington, DC, with a primary focus on Savoy family ancestors born between 1794 and 1912. While a few folders address the Savoy family in general, most of the folders pertain to one individual and his/her spouse(s). The majority of these folders contain biographical sketches, family trees, and timelines related to the individual at hand. In many cases, they also include photocopies and printouts of pertinent documents, such as census records, obituaries and newspaper articles, book excerpts, church records, letters, and text from relevant websites. This series also includes three bound books of genealogical material, two of which focus on Edward Augustine Savoy (1855 - 1943), in particular. No original artifacts (only photocopies/prints) appear in this series.
Photographs (Undated)
This series contains historic images printed on glossy/photo paper of Savoy family members; the launching the 361st Liberty Ship, S. S. Edward A. Savoy; and Savoy family homes in Washington, DC. No original artifacts (only photocopies/prints) appear in this series.
Custodial History
Savoy family descendants Wilbur Joseph Duplessis “Buddy” Rogers III, Lauret Edith Savoy, and Patricia Annette Green Wright contributed to the vast majority of the genealogical research found within this collection, most of which seems to have been completed between 2011 to 2013. Patricia Annette Green Wright then donated the collection to DC Public Library Special Collections in (2013?).
Processing Information
This collection was originally processed in 2014 as part of the DC Africana Archives Project, funded by the Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Collections. During reprocessing, the collection was divided into series and arranged according to the “Savoy Forebears, Descendants, and Spouses” sheets within the collection. Generations and family units are grouped together, organized chronologically. Photographs are arranged chronologically and, in the case of undated photographs, alphabetically by the family members’ name(s).
The processor relabeled and refoldered items, as needed. Images printed on glossy/photo paper were covered in clear, plastic, archival sleeves. The entire collection is housed in acid-free folders inside two archival document storage boxes.
- Title
- Savoy Family Genealogical Collection
- Subtitle
- An inventory of Savoy Family Genealogical Collection at DC Public Library
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by DC Africana Archives Project.
- Date
- 2014
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository