Oldtown
- Caitlin Lewis
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Local news covering the Oldtown area
A Profile of Bertha Moore
With Black History Month approaching, it seemed fitting to write about one of Laurel’s own extraordinary Black women.
When Bertha May Levi Moore died on July 2, 1981, her obituary was printed in The Washington Post. While it mentioned her surviving children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, the obituary mentioned very little about her extraordinary life and education.
On July 24, 1885, Bertha was born to former slaves. She was the only child of George and Mary Jane Franklin Levi. While her father escaped slavery at Dr. Water’s farm (then located between Savage and the unincorporated area of Guilford) and subsequently enlisted in the Union army, Bertha’s paternal grandfather was forced to fight in the Confederate army. They fought on opposite sides at the battle of Gettysburg. George was 19 when the Civil War ended. At the time, Mary Franklin (Bertha’s mother) was only five.
The Levis moved to Laurel when Bertha was a young child (some sources say she was four or five, others say 11 months old). Bertha attended the Blacks-only elementary school—School Number Two—located at 803 West Street. The school had a ratio of 55 students to one teacher. Despite having to share that one teacher with 54 other students spread across seven grades, Bertha felt her teachers were outstanding. She was unable to attend the only high school in Laurel, because even though it was only two blocks from her house, it was for White students only. So Bertha traveled by train and then eventually boarded with a family in Washington, DC while she attended Howard Preparatory School.
After graduating, Bertha was certified to teach, a rare achievement for a Black woman in 1906. She taught in Oxon Hill before returning to Laurel to teach at School Number Two. She taught for five years, and substitute-taught for many years afterwards. After marrying Charles Moore in 1909, she gave birth to 13 children. Bertha’s mother helped raise the children while Bertha worked as a domestic.
Remarkably, Charles and Bertha bought land in an area of Laurel not previously inhabited by Black families–essentially “blockbusting” the neighborhood for other Black families to move there, as well. They built the house that is still standing at 622 Tenth Street. When Route 198 was widened, the Moore’s house had to be moved to make room.
In her later years, Bertha expressed the hope that someday Black people would be allowed to live wherever they wanted to in Laurel. She acknowledged, though, that this hope would not be realized in her lifetime. Her husband Charles died in 1971.
In 1976, a large celebration was held in honor of Bertha’s 91st birthday. Tickets were sold to the event, and Bertha requested that any proceeds be given to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church on Eighth Street. At the celebration, the mayor of Laurel at the time, Leo Wilson, sat next to Bertha and delivered a tribute to her.
When Bertha was interviewed in 1976 for her birthday celebration, she is recorded as saying, “It’s been a joyous life.” She went on to celebrate another four birthdays, and died in 1981 at the age of 95, when 9 of her 13 children were still living.
(Thanks to the Laurel Historical Society for contributing research to this article, which is based largely on articles from the Laurel Leader, Laurel Sentinel, and PG County News.)
Dedication Ceremony for Mural of Chandler Robbins
On the afternoon of October 25, Laurel for the Patuxent hosted a dedication for the new mural of Chandler Robbins, painted by Jeff Huntington (“Jahru”) and Julia Gibb. For two hours, attendees enjoyed refreshments (courtesy of Laurel for the Patuxent), music performed by Michael Walls, and remarks by various speakers, including one of Robbins’ daughters. About a hundred were in attendance, including Councilmembers James Kole, Adrian Simmons, and Kyla Clark.
Mike Mondy Launches I LOVE LAUREL Newsletter
If you are interested in keeping up-to-date on upcoming events in Laurel, I highly recommend that you subscribe to Mike Mondy’s new weekly newsletter, I Love Laurel. To subscribe, go to Ilovelaurel.com and enter your email address. Mondy, a realtor who lives in Oldtown, is also the creator and administrator of the Facebook group called Laurel MD Connect!, another resource for Laurel residents looking to build community.
New Childcare Facility Opens
According to a November 23 article in Afro News, Milestones Enrichment Center opened a new facility at 311 Compton Avenue. The business is owned by Traci Cowen and Valencia Skeeter. Cowen started Milestones Enrichment Center in 2002; the business has expanded to another location in Washington, DC, with a third location in Bethesda pending licensing. The new facility in Laurel can serve up to 90 children, ages 6 months to 12 years.
Upcoming Plays
From January 16 to February 1, the Laurel Mills Playhouse will perform Evan Carrington’s debut play, Save My Black Soul. The play is directed by Jeremy Keith Hunter and follows the journey of a Black actor, Edward Foster, as he follows his aspirations from Hollywood to New York.
Caitlin Lewis holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Covenant College. She worked as a high school English teacher both in the U.S. and Greece, but currently works at home raising her four children and writing her column.