Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Freedom House Museum
City of Alexandria Est. 1749
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 30, 2018
The building at 1315 Duke Street, two blocks south of here, was originally built around 1812 as a residence for General Robert Young, commander of Alexandria's militia, who died in 1824. This three-story brick building then became the headquarters for one of the largest slave traders in America.
In 1828, Isaac Franklin and John Armfield formed a partnership to facilitate the interstate slave trade. Though importation of slaves was outlawed in 1808, the domestic trade flourished. As the need for slave labor in northern tobacco regions decreased in the 1820's, demand grew in the Cotton Belt. Traders took advantage of this trend, acquiring slaves who were then shipped south where they could demand a much higher price. It is estimated in the 1830s, Franklin and Armfield saw profits of more than $100,000 year from the domestic slave trade.
Franklin and Armfield began to withdraw from trading in the late 1830s and by 1858, their old slave pen operated as Price, Birch, and Co. Abandoned at the start of the Civil War, the building then served as a Union jail.
Today the building is owned by the Northern Virginia Urban League, which opened the Freedom House Museum in 2008 to educate young visitors about slavery. The building is dedicated to Rev. Lewis Henry Bailey—a former slave who was sold through the slave pen to a family in Texas. Freed in 1863, he walked back to Alexandria and founded several churches and schools in Virginia, still in existence today.
Erected by City of Alexandria.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Churches & Religion • Education • Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia, The City of Alexandria series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.
Location. 38° 48.359′ N, 77° 3.286′ W. Marker is in Alexandria, Virginia. It is in Old Town. Marker is at the intersection of King Street (Virginia Route 7) and North West Street, on the right when traveling west on King Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1401-½ King Street, Alexandria VA 22314, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Alexandria, D.C. (within shouting distance of this marker); The Growth of Upper King Street (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); L’Ouverture Hospital (about 500 feet away); Colonel Francis Peyton (about 600 feet away); Port City (about 600 feet away); L'Overture Hospital HQ (about 700 feet away); Carver School
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 30, 2018
Also see . . . Freedom House Museum. (Submitted on April 2, 2018.)
Additional keywords. human trafficking
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 30, 2018
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 30, 2018
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 30, 2018
Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 31, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 354 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 31, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.