It’s Black History Month. And, I wrote about Freedom House (1315 Duke Street, Alexandria) a year ago. During its 33 years of operation, some 1 million slaves were sold or traded from this building. Interestingly, these actions occurred even when Alexandria was part of the District of Columbia- Alexandria rejoined the Commonwealth in 1847, after 58 years of Federal Control. (The slave house actually operated from 1828 to 1861; that operation ceased when the US government forcibly took control over the city of Alexandria at the start of the Civil War.)
The Northern Virginia Urban League bought the Franklin and Armfield Slave Office in 1996 and established the Freedom House museum there about a decade ago. It sounded like a great idea, but the Urban League hasn’t been able to keep the museum on sound footing. As a matter of fact, they defaulted on their mortgage recently, but an accommodation of sorts is currently in effect.
A plan was developed to have the city of Alexandria cover the $ 6,000 monthly mortgage for three years without imposing interest. After the first two years, the principal owed would incur a 2% interest charge and the mortgage payments would continue for two more years. Then, the not quite $ 375K loan would be due and payable.
But, as is true for many plans, fiscal reality plays a part. Instead of that simple plan, the city has agreed to a $ 63,000 interest-free loan (10 ½ months of mortgage from 15 February through November of this year). It will also help the League apply for a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, so that a turnaround plan can be developed.
As part of this plan, Historic Alexandria would operate the museum, including special events for the next 9 months. And, the Urban League would effect a fundraising campaign ($2.5 million is to be the minimum amount to be raised) to repay the city for the mortgage, render repairs to the structure, and develop an endowment to ensure the long-term survival of Freedom House. (While the Urban League will remain using the upper floors of the building, the museum will continue to operate on the first floor.)
There will be a few other other changes. The museum had been open from 10 am to 3 pm, Mondays to Fridays, with self-guided tours and no required entrance fee. Once the city takes over on 1 March, the museum hours will become 1 to 5 PM on Thursdays through Saturdays- and everyone would pay a $ 5 entrance fee.
The fees would be dedicated to improving the museum experience, not to cover the mortgage or building repairs.
And, on a different note, but related to Black History Month, many of you recall that my synagogue members flew down to Alabama and Georgia last year to learn about the Selma-Montgomery March of 1965. On the anniversary of that visit (Martin Luther King day of 2018), a Kindle and a paperback edition of the reasons for and experiences of the event became available.
It is shocking now to think that there was a time when human beings were considered commodities to be bought and sold. In my opinion, slavery has left some lingering scars in this country and too many people won’t talk about it.
It’s not so shocking, Alice. Because it’s still being done- young women are stolen and sold into the sex trade way too often. And, now, they are including young guys as their targets.
Some women have been promised jobs as nannies- only to find that it’s work, they can’t leave, and their payment is not quite as advertised.
We need to stop all such slavery and not think it was just a thing of the past.
We certainly should never forget. I would love to visit this Freedom House museum. It’s good to remember the past so we don’t repeat the bad.
Come on up to Alexandria, Kemkem. I’ll give you and your husband a grand tour of the area (as in DC).
A shame admission must now be charged but it’s understandable. I think many museums struggle financially trying to tell their stories in a way people can afford.
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I’m sure you also saw that the Met has abrogated it’s admission charge policy. Now, it’s for everyone, since so few thought it important to contribute. It’s also what led to the demise of the Corcoran Gallery- no one wanted to pay for the museum that was contiguous to the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art. After all, they were free!