Williamsburg Solicits Bids to Promote New African American Heritage Trail
Request for proposal includes creating a mobile app, complimentary map, and marketing campaign
The City of Williamsburg is advancing its plans for a new African American Heritage Trail with a request for proposals (RFP) to design a mobile application, printed materials, and a marketing campaign. This initiative marks the next phase in a multi-year project that seeks to elevate untold and underrepresented stories of the African American community in and around Williamsburg.
The trail itself is a roughly 2.3-mile ADA-accessible walking route through downtown Williamsburg. It will feature a contemplative trailhead, interpretive signage at key sites, and a comfort station built from the former 1933 Pump Station #1. Notable landmarks along the route will include the 1760 Williamsburg Bray School, the 1776 First Baptist Church, the Blayton Building, and several memorials recognizing the impact of enslavement, segregation, displacement, as well as civil rights activism and entrepreneurship.
Trail narrative
In December 2024, the Williamsburg City Council approved the trail’s official narrative, which is the product of extensive community engagement and historical research, and aims to establish a lasting framework through which African American history is presented as an essential part of the city’s story. Through signage, mobile technology, oral histories, and educational programming, the city is working to ensure that this history is accessible, visible, and integrated into the broader understanding of Williamsburg—both for residents and the many visitors the city welcomes each year.
One key feature of the trail is the First Baptist Church, established in the late 18th century by enslaved and free African Americans. One of the oldest historically Black congregations in the country, the church played a multifaceted role in the community—as a place of worship, education, and civic organization. Its history includes visits from prominent figures such as Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Jesse Jackson, and its inclusion on the trail reflects efforts to acknowledge its long-standing significance.
The trail narrative also highlights the 1760 Williamsburg Bray School, recognized as the oldest known school for African American children in the United States. Recently relocated and preserved, the building is being developed into a full interpretive site. Its inclusion brings greater public attention to the complex legacy of early African American education, and the ways in which literacy and learning became tools for empowerment despite the constraints of enslavement.
In addition to historic sites, the trail will incorporate first-person reflections from members of the local African American community. Gathered through oral history projects such as the Share More Stories initiative, these personal accounts help add context and depth to Williamsburg’s historical timeline, offering insight into generational experiences, cultural traditions, and community resilience.
Modern public spaces are also playing a role in telling these stories. The Sankofa Seed sculpture at William & Mary commemorates the Legacy Three—the university’s first Black residential students—and symbolizes a step toward broader institutional recognition of the past.
The trail’s narrative further includes places like the Triangle Block, a former hub for Black-owned businesses that was lost during urban renewal, and the Magruder community, displaced by the creation of Camp Peary during World War II. By acknowledging these sites and the families and businesses they once held, the trail seeks to preserve their place in Williamsburg’s collective memory.
Promoting the trail
The new RFP calls for a firm to develop a GPS-enabled mobile application that includes interactive maps, multimedia narratives, professional voiceovers, offline functionality, and user analytics. The app must be ADA-compliant and include a robust, user-friendly content management system that City staff can maintain. The selected firm will also design a printed map of the trail, lead marketing and outreach campaigns, and organize a public launch event. Additional responsibilities include creating audio and visual content, coordinating with the advisory committee, and proposing strategies for community engagement.
City officials aim to have the mobile application and printed materials ready for public use by May 1, 2026. This launch date is planned to coincide with the United States’ 250th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of Colonial Williamsburg, further highlighting the trail’s cultural and historical significance.
The trail project is estimated to cost $2.7 million in total, with $1.08 million already allocated in the City’s FY26 Capital Improvement Plan for this development phase. Funding sources are expected to include HUD Community Development funds, tourism grants, and other external contributions. Officials did not establish a maximum project budget for the RFP and have asked vendors to submit detailed cost breakdowns. The selected firm is expected to begin work in fall 2025. Once completed, the trail will stand as a lasting tribute to the African American community’s role in shaping Williamsburg’s past, present, and future.
A Williamsburg Independent contributor produced this post with AI tools and these primary sources:
RFP: Development of Mobile Application, Printed Map, Marketing Plan, and Community Engagement for Williamsburg African American Heritage Trail
Questions and Answers - Development of Mobile Application, Printed Map, Marketing Plan, and Community for the Williamsburg African American Heritage Trail
African American Heritage Trail city webpage
City of Williamsburg - African American Heritage Trail - NARRATIVE OVERVIEW
Williamsburg FY26 Adopted Budget