NEWBURYPORT – A new interpretative sign was dedicated last week on Juneteenth to honor Black domestic workers who worked historically in Newburyport, with special recognition given to Caroline C. Cottrell. The title of this interpretative sign was “Remembering the Women who raised America.”
The ceremony was hosted by the Newburyport Black History Initiative (NBHI) marking the 12th plaque sign iinstalled by the group to inform residents and visitors about the city’s Black history. The sign stands on Green Street across from the Newburyport Police Department.
Cottrell, a former nanny and domestic worker for the Morrill family, helped raise Gayden W. Morrill, who would become one of Newburyport’s most venerated mayors.
Dr. Cyd Raschke, NBHI co-founder, led the ceremony on the history of Black domestic labor in the city, highlighting the critical role Black women played in Newburyport households after the Civil War. By 1900, nearly 40 percent of Black women in the city worked as domestic servants.
Their workdays often lasted from 12 to 18 hours, seven days a week, Raschke said. And they were required to wear a long white coverup that identified them as household servants.
These women cleaned, cooked, and raised their employers’ children. They wore high-collared, long-sleeved white uniforms to mark their role. Though employers often called them “part of the family,” they were usually underpaid and financially dependent, Raschke said.
Amy Mazur with Hand in Hand, a firm that supports domestic workers, said domestic workers like Cottrell provided care, labor and resiliency for families like the Morrills. “Caroline was not just an employee, she was essential component of the Morrill family household.”
She said many domestic workers today are immigrants and live in fear they will be deported.
Cottrell was born into slavery in North Carolina in 1856. After the Civil War, her family moved to Chattanooga, TN. There, she likely met Mary Hamilton, who later married banker Frank F. Morrill.r
When the Morrills settled in Newburyport, Cottrell joined them as a live-in servant at 209 High St. She worked for the family for many years and helped raise their son, Gayden. Cottrell was literate and maintained a regular correspondence with her family in the South.
As mayor from 1932 to 1935, Gayden Morrill oversaw the construction of Newburyport High School. He remained devoted to Cottrell throughout his life. Dr. Raschke suggested her influence may have helped shape the mayor’s success.
The interpretative sign was written by Dr. Kabria Baumgartner and senior city planner Jordie Vining. It notes that Cottrell sent letters and photos to her family, including a postcard in 1913 that was preserved in a family Bible. A photo she mailed home showed her with fellow servant Maggie Reardon, described as her best friend.
Cottrell died of stomach cancer on her 62nd birthday. Her funeral was held at the Old Baptist Church, now Mission Oak Restaurant not far from her interpretative sign. S was buried in the Morrill family plot in Amesbury.
After her death, the Morrills sent her belongings and $2,500 in Liberty Bonds to her brother in Tennessee. Her savings, the equivalent to more than $50,000 today, reflected decades of careful saving.
Cottrell’s legacy now stands publicly recognized in the city where she lived and worked, thanks to the continued support of the NBHI and the city of Newburyport.
To learn more about the NBHI, visit https://www.cityofnewburyport.com/planning-development/newburyport-black-history-initiative. ♦
