In 2020 and early 2021, the Peale participated in the Lexington Market Public History Initiative in an effort to collect stories and memories about the world-famous Lexington Market as the market itself prepared for a redesign and reopening. The initiative’s core partners were Baltimore Heritage, Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, Lexington Market, Inc., Market Center Community Development Corporation, Seawall, and the Peale, and the work was partially enabled by a Pathways Grant from the Maryland Center for History and Culture. This project was financed in part by the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s Thomas V. “Mike” Miller History Fund.

Jayson Williams: My name is Jayson Williams. I am the CEO of the Mayson-Dixon companies, and I grew up in Edmondson village.

Jayson Williams: My great grandfather, James B. Carpenter, became the bell ringer back in the 1960s. He was selected by the individuals that were managing the market and he took it with great pride. I mean, it was a very visible position. It was an important position and it created energy. So he actually got himself a top hat, he got himself a really, really nice tuxedo. And he did that for many, many years. So much so that on his 80th birthday, the shop owners, which were mostly white shop owners in the early '70s, shut down the market and brought him a birthday cake and sang him happy birthday in the market.

Jayson Williams: And my cousins, my older cousins, my Mom, my uncles, my great grandfather, got them all jobs in the market. My Mom started working in the market when she was 14 years old. He got her a job at one of the concession stands. He owned two shoe shine stands. I just recently found out, I thought it was one shoe shine stand. He had both of the shoe shine stands in the market were his.

Jayson Williams: I read a really old article about when he passed away and how they honored him in it. It's talking about his shoe shine stands, and his medical supplies, and herbs. And he actually had three small businesses in the market. And each one of my family members all worked for him before they worked anywhere else. So starting at somewhere around 14, everyone worked. All the guys shined the shoes, all the ladies worked in the different stands for different shop owner.

Jayson Williams: He was one of the first people you saw coming in the market, because both of his stands were very well-placed. He was a smart businessman. So people just knew him, they all called him Mr. Carpenter. And I mean, back in that day, you made reference to it, the early '70s, they didn't call him Boy. They didn't call him James. They called him Mr. Carpenter, because he was respected as a small business owner and respected of how he treated people.

Jayson Williams: Now it's moving. I got moved from it, I think, when I found out. I started my small businesses about five years ago. And like every young person I think I'm the first there. I think I'm the hottest person out there, because I made it through my first year in business. So I posted something on my social media four years ago after my first year in business, like "Glad to be a small business owner, started my own business." I'm like, "I'm here, I'm doing it, I'm making it happen." Like, "Glad to be the first in my family to do it."

Jayson Williams: My uncle, my cousin that follow my social media and my mother all almost simultaneously called me and said, "We're so proud of you, but let's correct something here. Your great grandfather was a business owner before you were a thought.

Asset ID: 2020.01.01.a

Transcript abbreviated: Contact the Peale for a complete transcript.