The Freedom House Museum will reopen to the public Nov. 6 following the completion of exterior rehabilitation work that restored the building’s pre-Civil War appearance, the city announced Monday.
The Office of Historic Alexandria will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at the museum, located at 1315 Duke Street. Experts will be available from 1-3 p.m. that day to discuss details of the renovation work.
The building was once part of the headquarters for the largest domestic slave-trading firm in the United States. From 1828 to 1861, traders trafficked tens of thousands of enslaved adults and children through the site. Taken from their families, these individuals were forced to slave markets in the Deep South by foot or ship to be sold.
The rehabilitation, which began in June, was designed to stabilize and protect the building while returning the early portions to their pre-Civil War appearance. The work included sealing the exterior building envelope, modifying the front roofline to a side gable roof, returning a second entryway to the front facade, adjusting west elevation window openings to match Civil War-era photographs, spot repointing the brick, and renewing windows, woodwork, and siding.
Oak Grove Restoration Company carried out the work on behalf of the city. The project was funded through private donations, state funds and a Save America’s Treasures grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service.
The rehabilitation was guided by extensive historical documentation and was recommended in the building’s Historic Structures Report. The project also had community support through the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
The next phase will focus on the interior, where engineers and preservation specialists will design ways to make the spaces accessible to all visitors.
The museum features three floors of exhibitions, including “1315 Duke Street,” which centers on the stories of those who were trafficked through the domestic slave trade. The museum is recommended for visitors ages 8 and older due to the sensitive nature of the content.
Regular hours will be Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.
More information is available at alexandriava.gov/Historic.
