Freedom House Museum To Reopen With New Exhibitions Documenting Black History

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Freedom House Museum, a historic landmark documenting the history of Alexandria's enslaved and free Black people, will reopen to the public on Friday, May 27.

Like other city museums, Freedom House Museum closed in mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Alexandria announced its intent to purchase the building from the Urban League of Northern Virginia in early 2020 and completed the purchase in March 2020. During the pandemic, Freedom House Museum underwent renovations and history documentation, including the completion of the Historic Structures Report, research and three new exhibits.

At 1315 Duke Street, Freedom House Museum stands is located at the former site of a slave jail for Franklin and Armfield, one of the country's largest slave trading companies. According to the city's website, the location was used as a slave jail or pen between 1828 and 1836, holding slaves shipped from Northern Virginia to cotton and sugar plantations in the South. After Franklin and Armfield, the complex was used by other slave trading companies. The complex is associated with trafficking thousands of Black men, women and children between 1828 and 1861.

In 1861, the Union Army liberated the slave jail and used it as a military prison during the Civil War. Most of the complex was demolished after the Civil War and underwent renovations several times. The Northern Virginia Urban League bought the property in 1997.

Today, Freedom House Museum is a National Historic Landmark, documenting the roles of the historic site and Alexandria's role in the domestic slave trade, as well as sharing stories of African Americans in Alexandria. As African American history was diminished through slavery, race-based laws, and racial terror, the city seeks to "reframe white supremacist history" with the museum.

"When you enter the hallowed doors of the Freedom House Museum, you come face-to-face with the named and unnamed enslaved and free Black men, women and children who were trafficked through this site," said Mayor Justin Wilson in a statement. "Freedom House will inform visitors while challenging them to critically examine our history. I am proud that we are telling this story and honoring the lives and experiences of those who passed through this building."

There are three new exhibits to see at the reopened Freedom House Museum:

• 1315 Duke Street highlights stories of those who were brought from the Chesapeake Bay area through 1315 Duke Street to slave markets in the deep South. The exhibit showcases archaeological artifacts, a model of the complex, and stories of personal experiences of people trafficked through the domestic slave trade. The new first floor exhibition was designed by Washington, D.C. firm Howard+Revis Design, who have done work for the Smithsonian Institution and the National Civil Rights Museum.
• Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality is a traveling exhibition from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture examining four centuries of Black history in Virginia. The exhibit tells stories of people who fought for equality, shaping American society and its collective ideals. Determined in Alexandria is a companion exhibition about Black Alexandrians who built the foundations of our community while fighting for equality.
• Before the Spirits Are Swept Away is a series of paintings of African American sites by the late Sherry Z. Sanabria. The third floor also hasa reflection space with a bronze model (or maquette) of Alexandria’s well known Edmonson Sisters sculpture by artist Erik Blome, a gift to the Office of Historic Alexandria from former City Manager Mark Jinks and his wife, Eileen Jinks.

When the museum reopens on May 27, hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays. Admission is free for City of Alexandria residents. For other visitors, admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Due to high demand and limited capacity, reserving tickets in advance is recommended.

A grand opening event will be planned for the observance of Juneteenth on Monday, June 20. Details on the grand opening will be shared at a later time.

For more information about Freedom House Museum, visit www.alexandriava.gov/FreedomHouse.