Oral history is an effective research tool that archeologists use when descendants of people who lived in the past are willing to share their memories, family stories, and other information passed down over generations. The information gleaned from these interviews reveals details and provides insights into the past that documentary sources and physical evidence alone do not offer.

Typically, archeologists ask questions which will help them interpret the artifacts and physical history of a site, or will help them put the time period being studied into a better social context. 

In 1995 and 1996, archeologists interested in the changing lifeways of free African Americans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries undertook an in-depth study of the Robinson House site. A major part of their research included oral history interviews with members of the Robinson family who had once lived in the house or visited it as children.

Participants included James Robinson’s great-grandchildren (Edna Chloe, Oswald Robinson, and Louie Robinson) and great-great-grandchildren (Romaine Lewis and Richard Robinson).

Through these interviews, archeologists learned a great deal about the physical layout of the Robinson farm during the early 20th century. 

Although archeologists knew from historic maps that a number of outbuildings comprised the Robinson homestead, they discovered the specific functions of these structures from the interviewees.

Romaine Lewis remembered “a hen house, smokehouse, [a] meat house, [a] corn crib, and [a] barn” as well as “chickens, turkeys, geese, guineas, and ducks” that roamed around the yard. Information about the trees, flowers, and vegetables that the Robinsons planted offered insight into both the appearance of the landscape and the family’s daily diet.

According to Oswald Robinson, the Robinson farm workday was from sunup to sundown and consisted of chores, school, and play. Unfortunately, farming was not always lucrative and better economic opportunities could be found in large urban centers like New York, Baltimore, and Detroit. Edna Chloe, James Robinson's great granddaughter, remembered that some of the Robinson men eventually gave up farming in the hopes of finding "decent jobs" in the cities.