The City of Alexandria has agreed to purchase the Freedom House Museum, an unassuming brick building at 1315 Duke Street that was once the headquarters for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States.
The museum is currently a museum about slavery run by the Northern Virginia Urban League, but years after buying and restoring the building in 1996, the Washington Post reported that upkeep for the building was too costly for an organization that primarily uses its funding for scholarships and civil rights issues.
For two years, the City of Alexandria has been working with the Urban League to keep the building open to the public, the city said in a press release. The Office of Historic Alexandria took over operating the museum in February 2019.
The purchase is still subject to approval at the Planning Commission and City Council in February. The agreement would see the city purchase the property for $1.8 million and the Urban League will be able to keep office space in the building for five years.
“The Northern Virginia Urban League is pleased to reach this agreement with the City to place Freedom House in the public trust and ensure its important story will continue to be told,” Diane McLaughlin, chair of the board of directors of Urban League, said in a press release. “The League will continue to focus on its primary mission to enable minorities and other disadvantaged communities to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.”
The restoration and upkeep of the museum could also be helped by $2.44 million in state funding provided in Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed budget.
The city hopes for some public assistance for the museum preservation and upkeep as well, with a donation page set up at ACT for Alexandria, a community fundraising site.
Yesterday’s announcement of the purchase of the Freedom House site is a big step.
We do need private support to fully develop this historic resource and ensure this chapter of our history is interpreted.
Please join me in supporting this effort.https://t.co/ErKnuJCd2t
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) January 7, 2020
More from a city press release:
The City of Alexandria and the Northern Virginia Urban League (NVUL) reached an agreement on December 31 for the City to purchase the Freedom House Museum in order to preserve and interpret this National Historic Landmark for future generations. The building, located at 1315 Duke Street, was once part of the headquarters for the largest domestic slave trading firm in the United States. 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.
“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 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.
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. The building has been the home of the NVUL since 1996, and the City will continue to provide NVUL with office space in the building for five years. The purchase is subject to approval by the Planning Commission and City Council in February.
Photo via Historic Alexandria/Facebook
Recent Stories
The YMCA in Del Ray (420 E Monroe Avenue) is temporarily closed after a medical incident. Alexandria Fire-EMS are on the scene assisting a woman who went into cardiac arrest…
Alexandria Congressman split his votes on security funding bills for U.S. allies over the weekend. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) voted for bills to aid the defense of Ukraine, which is under Russian invasion,…
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the theft of more than $50,000 worth of luxury handbags stolen from two consignment shops in the city. On Jan. 26, the owner of…
A little over two years after it opened, Foxtrot in Old Town is closed — swept up in a series of closures affecting all locations in the Washington D.C. area….
For many remote workers, a messy home is distracting.
You’re getting pulled into meetings, and your unread emails keep ticking up. But you can’t focus because pet hair tumbleweeds keep floating across the floor, your desk has a fine layer of dust and you keep your video off in meetings so no one sees the chaos behind you.
It’s no secret a dirty home is distracting and even adds stress to your life. And who has the energy to clean after work? That’s why it’s smart to enlist the help of professionals, like Well-Paid Maids.
Monarch Montessori School is now enrolling infants, toddlers and three year-olds for its full-time Montessori program. We offer a seamless enrollment process which involves submitting an application for review, paying the enrollment fee and submitting the remaining enrollment materials before your proposed start date.
At Monarch Montessori School, we aim to provide an authentic Montessori learning experience. At our Alexandria location, we currently have 8 openings in our Primary classroom (ages 3-6), and 6 openings in our Toddler classroom. Additionally, there are 3 infant openings at this time.
Our first floor space is an open concept. Infants and toddlers share the same large classroom. Children ages 3-6 are in two classrooms on our second floor. Each classroom has one lead and assistant guide. We offer a year-round program, with intermittent breaks for Spring Break and Winter Break.
Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Annual Gala & Auction
Do good while having a good time at the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria’s 38th Annual Gala and Auction at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. The fun begins with a 2-hour open bar reception while mingling with 499 other Alexandrians who
