Andrew Walker - An Enslaved Man Moves To Castine
Tintype of Andrew Walker
Negotiating Freedom
Much of Andrew Walker’s (c. 1779 - 1878) story is obscured by myth, legend, and oral histories.
Lisa Simpson Lutts is using primary sources as wayfinders through the story of this formerly enslaved man who came to Castine with the family of Daniel and Sarah Johnston, whose home you see before you.
Born into enslavement on a plantation in South Carolina around 1779, Andrew was sold at least three more times in various locations including Virginia, Georgia, and ultimately New Orleans. It was here that he met Daniel Johnston, a wealthy businessman with deep ties to mercantile and shipping concerns who shared his time between New Orleans and Castine, where he was born.
Daniel purchased Andrew for $300. Johnston family oral and written histories celebrated Daniel as Andrew’s savior, purchasing him with the intention to free him from his cruel owner. And yet, Andrew remained enslaved to the Johnstons in New Orleans for quite some time.
Andrew Walker’s gravestone
When Daniel moved back to Castine full-time in the late 1840s to start a young family with his wife, they brought Andrew with them. Andrew lived in the Johnston’s home for the remainder of his life, listed variously as laborer or servant in census records. Records also show that Walker voted in annual elections and attended the local Methodist Church. While the Johnston family felt that their “Uncle Andy” was a beloved family member, it is likely that the shape of his life was confined by servitude.
Recently, we uncovered a heartbreaking clue about Walker’s death hidden in a Castine resident’s diary. The diarist wrote, “Andrew Walker, a coloured man...was found on the shore with face down in the water... He probably drowned himself.” It appears that his suicide was quietly covered up by the Johnston family and town residents. At the time of his death, he was one of two remaining year-round Black residents living in Castine. His funeral service was held in the Methodist Church.
1858 Voter List - Castine
Andrew Walker voted in annual elections. From the time of its creation in 1820, Maine’s law did not explicitly bar Black men from voting, so long as they met the other eligibility criteria. That right was denied to Native Americans, women, and paupers. It wasn't until 1967 that Indigenous people of Maine were allowed to vote.
Reflection Questions
How do white saviorism myths erase the agency of the Black people whose stories they touch?
This research was compiled as part of the Mači-pikʷátohsək: A Wayfinding Walk which took place in Castine on October 5, 2025. For more information about this walk, click here.
For more research related to this area, click on the tags below. To download a hi-res version of the posters below for educational use, please contact where@atlanticblackbox.com.
This event was a collaboration between Castine History Partners (CHP) and the Walks for Historical & Ecological Recovery (WHERE), a series convened by Atlantic Black Box. Castine History Partners is a collaboration originally established to create virtual history tours for Castine. CHP supports a variety of learning opportunities around the history of Castine. The partners include Castine Community Partners, Castine Historical Society, Castine Touring Company, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Maritime Academy, Wilson Museum, and Witherle Memorial Library.