News Release: City Of Alexandrias Freedom House Museum Reopens With Three Powerful New Exhibitions
For Immediate Release: May 16, 2022
The City of Alexandria is pleased to announce that the Freedom House Museum at 1315 Duke Street will reopen on Friday, May 27, with three new exhibitions showcasing Alexandriaâs Black history and the Black experience in America. A grand opening event is scheduled for Monday, June 20, when the Juneteenth holiday will be observed. Details on this grand opening event will be announced in the coming weeks.
The museum will be open to the public Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays and Mondays from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per adult, $3 per child ages 5â12, and free for City of Alexandria residents. Due to high demand and limited capacity, it is highly recommended that guests reserve tickets in advance online.
The National Historic Landmark is what remains of a large complex dedicated to trafficking thousands of Black men, women and children between 1828 and 1861. The museum honors the lives and experiences of the enslaved and free Black people who lived inâand were trafficked throughâAlexandria. This museum seeks to reframe white supremacist history and provide visitors opportunities to learn, reflect and advocate for change.
The exhibits depict the roles of the historic site and Alexandria in the domestic slave trade, and share inspiring stories of African Americans in our community on three floors of the museum:
Visit alexandriava.gov/FreedomHouse for more information.
Inside Old Town: Walking Tour
Recommended for Grades 4-8
What was it like to live in Alexandria 200 years ago? Students explore the Old Town of the past by playing the roles of early townspeople, and learn about the interdependence of the people that lived and worked in their community.
- Virginia SOLs: Social Studies: VS.1-4, USI.1-3 English: 4.1-3, 4.5, 4.6, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.7
- Program: 1 ¾ hours
- Recommended Group Size: Up to 48 students
John M Langston Mural
The mural, which can be seen from the newly renamed Langston Boulevard, pays tribute to the man who was Virginias first Black congressional representative, served as the first dean of Howard Universitys law school and the first president of Virginia State University.
The artist, D.C. native Kaliq Crosby, incorporated the places and moments in Arlingtons history of racism and racial progress into the mural. Included are depictions of Freedmans Village, the segregation of the Halls Hill neighborhood and the integration of public schools.
Visit: The mural adorns a wall on the side of swimming store Sport Fair , which was chosen for its location in the historically Black neighborhood of Halls Hill, as well as its visibility from the road.
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Walk The Duke Street Black History Trail
Image Credit: Evan Michio Photography for Visit Alexandria
Old Towns Duke Street corridor is rich with historical significance, embedded with narratives and markers galore for the eagle-eyed passerby. Begin your Great Walk at Erik Blomes Edmonson Sisters sculpture, a tribute to two teenage sisters who attempted escape from slavery, were captured and held in Alexandrias Bruin Slave Jail, and later becoming vocal abolitionists alongside the likes of Frederick Douglass. End at the African American Heritage Park, whose centerpiece is a bronze tree sculpture onto which artist Jerome Meadows carved the names of African American citizens and sites.
A White Historian Explores Race Riots A Free Virtual Lecture
Join us for a free, virtual lecture on Saturday February 12, 2002, 11 a.m., sponsored by the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project. . Violent clashes between large crowds of different races have disturbed the social order in the United States since long before the Civil War. Susan Strasser investigates the term, and a history of racially charged violence that has framed American discussions of race throughout the nations history.
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Honor Alexandrias Lynching Victims
Image Credit: Kristian Summerer for Visit Alexandria
Learn the stories and say the names of Alexandrias lynching victims, Joseph McCoy and Benjamin Thomas, honored with remembrance ceremonies in spring and summer of 2020. Permanent markers for their lynching sites near Market Square are in the works from the Alexandria Community Remembrance Project for spring and summer 2021. Joseph McCoy is buried at Penny Hill Cemetery and Benjamin Thomas was reinterred to Douglass Cemetery. Looking ahead, the City plans to claim Alexandrias lynching pillar from the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Office of Historic Alexandria is a newly accepted member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, which connects past struggles to todays movements for human rightsthe citys latest step to remember the past and pursue a more equitable future. In May 2021, the Alexandria Black History Museum will launch a new online exhibition featuring material from the new Black Lives Remembered Collection, in response to George Floyds tragic murder. Learn more and find additional Black history sites to explore here.
Header Images Credits, left to right: Misha Enriquez for Visit Alexandria Instagram user @sharpandsoundstyle Washington Tribune, August 26, 1939. Courtesy of the Alexandria Black History Museum
Eclectique Things To Do And See
Todays the day I hustle my taxes off to the accountant, but int he meantime here are a few things that are happening this week:The Alexandria African American Museum in Alexandria, VA is hosting the National Endowment for the Humanities traveling exhibit . The Grass Roots are the sweet grass baskets made by African Americans in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. These coiled baskets are made using the same techniques of the enslaved Africans along the southeastern Atlantic coast of the U.S. They used to sell for about $60 $100 over 20 years ago they now sell for $300 $400 and more today. Did I neglect to mention that this is a dying art? The exhibit runs through March 11 and then its back on the road. Theres a $2 admission at the door.Alexandria Black History MuseumPhone: 703-746-4356Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am 4 pm
Kudos to NEH for packaging such a fantastic feast for the eyes and soul. Heres a prayer published in the brochure credited as Prayer of titled men from Anambra State, Nigeria, August 1966:
And who is going to rememberTo Coninue in the traditionOf the elders?When things were shared out in common,In this town,What belonged to my village,By rightUsed to fill up a big basket.I say Amen to that.
Clayton LeBouef has been organizing and working to recognize Daviss legacy. He will present his play The Sheros Journey: A Livication for Henrietta Vinton Davis at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Sunday, March 14 at 2 PM.
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The Legacy Of George Floyd: Documenting Alexandrias Response
Peaceful vigils, protests and other events took place in Alexandria during the first week in June, following the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd. Recognizing the importance of this moment in history, the Office of Historic Alexandria invites the community to share signs, t-shirts, flyers, photographs, journals, personal stories, and artifacts that document local vigils and protests.
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Painting The Full Picture Freedom House Museum Aims To Reopen In April
Olivia AndersonFebruary 17, 2022
With its purchase of Freedom House several years ago, the City of Alexandria took tangible steps to ensure that its African American history is not forgotten. Now, following a long closure due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and several renovations, the Freedom House Museum is getting ready to reopen its doors.
Although there is not a hard date yet, Alexandria Black History Museum Director Audrey Davis said that the updated museum is tentatively set to open in April.
According to Davis, plans are moving along fairly smoothly, aside from some minor supply chain issues. Staff is currently reviewing proofs of the exhibit design and adding new lighting, paint coatings and an HVAC system.
âWeâre just pulling all these pieces together. Some things have to happen in stages and we have to wait for one part to be done before the next part can move on. Our goal is to open in the spring and weâre keeping our fingers crossed that is still going to happen,â Davis said. âBut we will be open this year. Thatâs our guarantee.â
Located at 1315 Duke St., the Freedom House Museum was once the site of one of the largest domestic slave trading firms in the country. Starting in 1828, Franklin and Armfield began operating out of the building, bringing enslaved people from the Chesapeake Bay area and forcing them to slave markets by foot or ship.
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Explore Alexandria’s Past With Us
Want to leave a tip for your tour guide?
Join Manumission Tour Company to travel the streets of historic Old Town Alexandria and hear the little-known stories of Africans and African-Americans, both enslaved and freemen, at a time when Alexandria, Virginia was one of early American’s main centers for the international and domestic slave trade.
Manumission Tour Company curates guided cultural heritage tours designed to highlight Alexandrias extensive African American History. We offer guided walking tours every weekend from February thru December. We would love to take your group on a personalized tour or provide step-on tour services for your bus trip! Tour times & tickets can be found on this website, but also at the Ramsay House Visitors Center in Old Town
Find out more about our tours and other services HERE
Click the “Book Your Tour Today” button to see the available tour dates.
Children $ 12
Alexandria Envisions An Expanded Freedom House Museum
Beth LawtonDecember 19, 2019
The City is working to purchase the historic Franklin and Armfield building at 1315 Duke St.
An expansion of the Freedom House Museum and renovations to the historic building it is in are in the works.
Earlier this year, the Northern Virginia Urban League put the historic townhouse at 1315 Duke St. it owns up for sale for $2.1 million, after going through a difficult period keeping up payments on the property, according to The Washington Post.
The townhouse was once the headquarters of the country’s largest slave-trading company, Franklin & Armfield, and the Freedom House Museum is housed in the basement.
Now, the City of Alexandria is planning to purchase the building with City funds for an undisclosed sum, allowing the Northern Virginia Urban League to keep a few offices in the building for five years.
Moving forward, the City has envisioned a partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia and with private donors to fund the building’s restoration and an expansion of the museum onto the first and second floors of the building.
Gov. Ralph Northam’s recently proposed budget includes $2.443 million to help fund the restoration of the building and renovation and expansion of the Freedom House Museum.
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School Programs: Schedule A Visit
To schedule a visit, call the Education Coordinator at 703.746.4994. Please note the following when scheduling a school program:
- Reservations are required
- Cost: $3 per student payment due upon arrival with a minimum charge of $40.
- Alexandria City Public Schools admitted free of charge!
- Up to 1 adult for every 5 children is admitted free additional adults $3 each. All teachers are admitted free of charge.
- Accessibility: Please notify us of any special needs so we can best accommodate all of your students. The museum will work closely with visiting teachers to make programs as accessible as possible to all visiting students and can create the best, most inclusive experience if notified in advance.
These programs are designed to enhance student learning and are adaptable to the Virginia and Maryland learning objectives. Your group can combine the Alexandria History Museum’ programs with those offered by Alexandria’s other museums and historic sites by scheduling a multi-site visit.
- Getting a Feel for Long Ago: Hands-on History – Grades K-3
- Inside Old Town: Outreach Kit – Grades 4-8
- Inside Old Town: Walking Tour – Grades 4-8
- Scavenger Hunt for History – Grades 4-8+
African American Heritage Trail
Alexandrias African American history is told through an online StoryMap and can be experienced in-home on your computer or on your smartphone as you walk the trail along the Potomac River. The walking trail lasts about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace. The webpage presents more in-depth information about the stops highlighted in the StoryMap.
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Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
What are people saying about museums in Alexandria, VA?
This is a review for museums in Alexandria, VA:
I cannot give a true rating, as of current day 2/25/2022 this museum is closed for RENOVATIONS. They have placed a list on the door of other suggested places that one might want to go to while the Alexandria Black History Museum is undergoing renovations.I was so looking forward to visiting this museum. I am not going to throw my super tourist list away, when I come back to visit this museum should definitely be open.I will update this review once I visit the museum
Embark On Manumission Tour Companys New Underground Railroad Route
Image Credit: Chris Cruz for Visit Alexandria
Book a spot on Manumission Tour Companys newest route tells the story of enslaved Alexandrians who fled to freedom. The tour is based upon the writings of abolitionist William Still and his 1872 book, The Underground Railroad, which describes the enslaved peopleincluding several from Alexandriawho used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom through his Philadelphia safe house and on to Canada. This tour covers where in Alexandria they may have lived and worked, when and how they escaped, and who may have helped them. Dont miss the tour companys additional Freedoms Fight in Alexandria and Duke Street Black History routes.
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The Fort African American Community Site
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site4301 W. Braddock Rd.
Fort Ward protected the nations capital and the vital seaport of Alexandria as one of the largest Union forts in the Civil War Defenses of Washington. After the war, a group of formerly enslaved African Americans bought land here and established a community known as The Fort. Despite facing social and legal inequalities, the residents of The Fort built homes, churches and a school and created a robust community. Beginning in the 1950s, as the City of Alexandria made plans to establish Fort Ward Park and restore the historic fort for the Civil War Centennial, the African American presence faded from view as residents were displaced, buildings demolished and burial sites lost. However, the remains of home foundations, artifacts and grave sites have survived underground. The Oakland Baptist Church stands on King Street as a landmark to the community. Reflect upon this community and learn more from outdoor interpretive markers on the grounds of this 45-acre historic park.
How to Access: Parking is free at Fort Wards dedicated visitor lot.
- Note: Click the door icon on the top left corner of the map to view the list of sites.
Explore 8 Key Sites On A Self
Image Credit: Carol Jean Stalun
Use our eight-site driving tour, created in fall 2020, to explore the African American history that shaped Alexandria and the United States, from D.C.s onetime southern cornerstone laid by Benjamin Banneker to the site of one of the nations earliest sit-ins and more. Find a and parking information for each site so you can linger where you feel moved.
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Contrabands And Freedmen Cemetery Memorial
The Memorial, at 1001 S. Washington Street, served as the burial place for about 1,800 African Americans who fled to Alexandria to escape from bondage during the Civil War. The Memorial opened in 2014 to honor the memory of the Freedmen, the hardships they faced, and their contributions to the City.
The Museum at 1315 Duke Street was once the headquarters and holding pen for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States. We invite you to visit the museum in this historic reminder of slavery.
City Of Alexandria Awarded National Trust For Historic Preservation Grant To Support Freedom House Museum
City of Alexandria Awarded National Trust for Historic Preservation Grant to Support Freedom House Museum
For Immediate Release: July 6, 2018
The City of Alexandria has been awarded a $50,000 planning grant from the Natiional Trust for Historic Preservation’s newly established African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund for the preservation of the Freedom House Museum, located at 1315 Duke St., which formerly housed the headquarters of one of the nationâs largest slave traders.
The City is one of 16 grantees that received support totaling $1 million for the first grant cycle of the African American Cultural Action Fund. This $25 million, multiyear national initiative is aimed at uplifting the largely overlooked contributions of African Americans by protecting and restoring African American historic sites and uncovering hidden stories of African Americans connected to historic sites across the nation.
The Freedom House Museum is owned by the Northern Virginia Urban League and operated in partnership with the City of Alexandria. The Museum was once the headquarters and holding pen for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the country, Franklin & Armfield, from 1828 to 1836. Enslaved men, women, and children were purchased in the Chesapeake Bay area and forced to the slave markets in Natchez, Mississippi and New Orleans either by sea or over land. Similar operations continued on the site until Union occupation of Alexandria in 1861.
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Alexandria Council To Vote On Rescue Plan For Freedom House Slavery Museum February 12 2018
Patricia SullivanFebruary 12, 2018
The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday will consider a short-term rescue plan for Freedom House, a financially struggling museum housed on the site of the largest slave-trading operation in the pre-Civil War United States.
The Northern Virginia Urban League, which founded the museum a decade ago, nearly defaulted on its $1.5 million mortgage in the fall.
Under the proposal the council is schedule to vote on Tuesday night, the city would temporarily take over the leagueâs $6,000-a-month mortgage payments, pay for a facilities assessment and apply for a $125,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to develop a âlong-term sustainable planâ for the museum at 1315 Duke St., the site of the former Franklin and Armfield Slave Office.
âWhat good news,â said Lyn Hoyt, who with her cousins recently approached Freedom House to donate money and inherited artifacts after discovering they were descended from slave trader Isaac Franklin.
âWe feel like weâve started a conversation,â Hoyt said. âIâm glad theyâre going to continue the conversation.â
The Office of Historic Alexandria, including staff from the cityâs Black History Museum, would operate the museum and stage special events during the next nine months. The Urban League, in turn, would launch a fundraising campaign to repay the city for covering the mortgage, make building repairs and create an endowment aimed at ensuring the museumâs survival.
