Sally Thomas Boarding House

This location is very near the spot where Sally Thomas’s business stood. Sally Thomas was born in Virginia in 1790, the child of an enslaved woman and white man. In 1818, Thomas and her two sons—both of whom had white fathers—migrated with their master to Nashville. Though seemingly in dire circumstances, Nashville provided a glimmer of hope for Thomas. She found employment as a maid and secured an agreement with her owner to retain a portion of her wages. Thomas used her earnings to rent out a two-story home on the corner of Deaderick and Cherry Streets, today Fourth Avenue North, where she made her own special soaps and established a laundry business. According to one historian, Sally specialized in silk, velvet, and cashmere and had more business than she could handle.

Sally Thomas, however, was not merely interested in earning a living as an enslaved woman. Her goal was freedom—not for her—but for her children. This is what motivated her tireless work, and every shirt, blouse, dress, and pair of pants she washed brought her closer to making their emancipation a reality. Achieving this goal was made more difficult when she became pregnant in 1827, at the age of 36, and gave birth to a son named James. James’s father was a famous judge and future Tennessee and US Supreme Court Justice named John Catron. 

All three of Sally’s sons had white fathers, and Sally’s biological father was also white. It is important to note that during the antebellum era many white men had children with enslaved Black women—most often the result of physical assault and/or economic coercion. These occurrences, and the children they produced, were termed “open secrets,” described in 1861 by white Southerner Mary Chesnut as “the thing we cannot name.” The circumstances of Thomas’s relationships with the fathers of her children are unknown, but we know that none of the men sought to emancipate their children. This likely fueled her determination to make sure that her sons would be free.

Events took a turn in her favor after the death of Richard Rapier, an elderly white man. You see, Sally’s eldest son worked for Rapier, and to the Thomas family’s delight, Rapier left Sally $1000 to purchase her son’s freedom. Later, her second son, Henry, ran away and ultimately found safety in Canada. After Henry’s escape, Sally was told that she would be sold, along with her youngest son James. Refusing to admit defeat, she sprang into action. Her stellar reputation and Nashville connections brought her to attorney Ephraim Foster. Thomas and Foster made an arrangement whereby she provided the cash for James’s purchase and promised to reimburse Foster for any additional expenses. With this agreement, Sally Thomas secured the freedom of her third child.

Tragically, Thomas contracted cholera and died before witnessing the emancipation of her youngest son. She was buried in the City Cemetery. Though she did not live to see that day, her life’s story was not a tragedy—it was, in fact, a triumph. Sally Thomas embodied the sacrifice of a mother and a woman determined to provide a better life for her children and for her community.

Turn LEFT onto Fourth Ave. North and walk north towards Deaderick Ave. The sixth tour stop will be just before the intersection.