Updated Friday, March 27
The City of Alexandria has completed its purchase of the Freedom House Museum from the Northern Virginia Urban League, city officials announced.
The building, located at 1315 Duke Street, was once part of the headquarters for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States. The $1.8 million purchase includes land, a three- and four-story, 9,810 square-foot building constructed primarily in the 1800s, all museum exhibits and furnishings, and an adjacent 1,648 square-foot parking lot.
From 1828 to 1861, five successive firms forced as many as 50,000 enslaved adults and children from the Chesapeake Bay area to the slave markets in Natchez, Miss., and New Orleans by foot or ship. The most infamous was Franklin & Armfield.
“Preserving sites like Freedom House and making them accessible to the public are vital parts of the effort to connect the stories of our past to our present day conversation about race and equity, and ensure we are telling a broader, more candid account of Alexandria and our nation’s history,” said Mayor Justin Wilson. “The City plans to enlist partners to help us restore the building and expand the exhibits to tell the story of the domestic slave trade and those who were enslaved.”
The City's Office of Historic Alexandria began operating the museum in February 2019, while the property remained under the ownership of NVUL.
Gov. Ralph Northam's budget proposal included $2.44 million to rehabilitate and expand the Freedom House Museum. In the long term, the City envisions a partnership with the Commonwealth, as well with private grantors and donors who may wish to help fund elements of the restoration and museum expansion.
Members of the community are encouraged to contribute to an account administered by the ACT for Alexandria community foundation, which will be used to supplement public funds for building restoration and museum development.
Freedom House is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. For schedule updates, to make a donation or more information, visit alexandriava.gov/FreedomHouse.
