Freedom House Museum opening pushed back to next spring

The new opening of the Freedom House Museum (1315 Duke Street), a museum dedicated to telling the stories of the victims of slavery trafficked through Alexandria, has been pushed back to a full year after its original planned opening.

The city said the museum is now expected to open to the public in spring 2022.

“Currently closed for repairs, the building has undergone a preliminary restoration and the Office of Alexandria looks forward to opening the building to the public with new exhibits in Spring 2022,” the city said in a press release.

The building, once an East Coast hub for the slave trade, had originally been scheduled to open as a museum this spring.

The Office of Historic Alexandria is planning a public presentation on a historic structure report recently completed for the building by consultants. The report includes in-depth research on the architecture and history of the building. The presentation will be made on Zoom next Thursday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. with an opportunity for questions after.

To inform the restoration of the historic building, SmithGroup began the study of the building and the Historic Structure Report in February 2021,” the press release said. “This report builds on prior archaeological excavation conducted in 1987, and recent archival and academic research… The Historic Structure Report includes a documentary study of the building’s history, an assessment of existing building conditions, digital drawings of the site changes over time, and recommendations for the building’s restoration.”