Franklin and Armfield Office
| Company type | Historic site and museum |
|---|---|
| Industry | Slave trade (historical) |
| Founded | 1828 |
| Founder | Isaac Franklin, John Armfield |
| Fate | Converted to museum and historic site |
| Headquarters | Alexandria, Virginia , United States |
| Products | Enslaved people (historical) |
| Website | www |
The Franklin and Armfield Office, currently housing the Freedom House Museum, is a significant historic commercial structure located in Alexandria, Virginia, which was part of the District of Columbia until 1846. Originally constructed between 1810 and 1820 as a private home, it later served as the headquarters for the largest slave trading enterprise founded in 1828 by Isaac Franklin and John Armfield. Documentation from the National Archives reveals that this firm was responsible for trafficking "at least 5,000" enslaved individuals.
Situated at 1315 Duke Street, just to the west of Alexandria’s Old Town, this three-story brick edifice exemplifies Federal-style architecture. Notable features include a mansard roof, Flemish bond brickwork on its front facade, and windows and doorways with segmented arches. The building stands on a brick foundation and is topped with gabled dormers at the roofline.
Recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and designated a Virginia Historic Landmark, the building was once owned by the Northern Virginia Urban League, which operated it as a museum dedicated to educating about the slave trade and the experiences of enslaved people. Ownership transferred to the City of Alexandria in March 2020, which subsequently reopened the site as a museum in June 2022.
History
Constructed during the 1810s by Robert Young, a brigadier general in the District of Columbia Militia, the building initially served as his residence. However, financial troubles compelled Young to sell the property shortly after its completion.
Franklin & Armfield
In 1828, Isaac Franklin along with his nephew-in-law John Armfield acquired this property to establish their Washington-area office while also using it as Armfield’s home.[1]
The estate expanded eastward with additional structures designed for confining and trading enslaved individuals. The firm also provided lodging for slaveholders visiting Washington at a rate of 25 cents per day.[2] The rear two-story addition contained cells resembling prisons, equipped with barred doors and windows.
Franklin & Armfield operated three packet ships dedicated to transporting enslaved people. An advertisement from 1849 noted bi-monthly departures from Alexandria to New Orleans during shipping season. They also offered safekeeping services for enslaved individuals at twenty-five cents daily.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
By 1833–34, their network of trading agents extended to at least five cities:
- R. C. Ballard & Co., Richmond, Virginia
- J. M. Saunders & Co., Warrenton, Virginia
- George Kephart & Co., Fredericktown, Maryland
- James F. Purvis & Co., Baltimore
- Thomas M. Jones, Easton, Eastern Shore, Maryland
Additional representatives included John Ware (Port Tobacco), William Hooper (Annapolis), and A. Grimm (Fredericksburg).
Around 1835, Franklin exited the business; subsequently, Armfield sold the property to former agent George Kephart in 1836.
Franklin and Armfield were dominant figures in the domestic slave market, responsible for separating families and amassing enormous wealth—comparable to billions today—ranking them among the wealthiest individuals in America. Franklin operated offices across Natchez, Mississippi; New Orleans; St. Francisville; and Vidalia, while Armfield managed supply chains through agents canvassing Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.[3]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Maryland and Virginia served as principal suppliers in this internal forced migration of enslaved people from the Upper South toward the Lower South. Franklin and Armfield played central roles in this trade. Surviving letters reveal they took pride in the harsh treatment inflicted during transactions.[3]
Price, Birch and Co.
Beginning in 1858, the premises were occupied by Price, Birch & Co., an American firm engaged in the slave trade, established by George Kephart, William Birch, J. C. Cook, and Charles M. Price. Their operations continued until 1861, when the Union Army found their Duke Street office deserted, with only a single enslaved individual left restrained inside.
Following the closure of Price, Birch & Co., the Union forces converted the structure into a police station and military detention facility until 1866. In the latter stages of the Civil War, it also functioned as L'Ouverture Hospital for African American soldiers and provided accommodations for contraband individuals. The building's former dungeons, once used to imprison enslaved persons, gained infamy for their severe conditions.
Post-Civil War Usage
After the Civil War concluded, the external slave pens associated with the building were torn down, with some bricks likely repurposed in nearby residential construction. The main edifice now serves as the Freedom House Museum, which hosts displays related to the history of the slave trade. Additionally, its second floor is utilized as office space by the Northern Virginia Urban League.
In 2005, a historical marker was installed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to commemorate the building’s past:
Template:Center In 1828, Isaac Franklin and John Armfield leased this brick structure to serve as a holding facility for enslaved individuals transported from northern Virginia to Louisiana. They acquired this property along with adjacent lots in 1832. From this location, Armfield procured enslaved people at low cost and shipped them southward to Franklin in Natchez, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana, for resale at higher prices. By the 1830s, their firm was responsible for selling approximately 1,000 enslaved people annually, ranking among the largest slave-trading enterprises in the United States until 1836. Ownership by slave traders persisted here until 1861.
Freedom House Museum
During the 1990s, the Northern Virginia Urban League took ownership of the building, developing an exhibit in the basement while dedicating upper levels to offices and educational spaces.
In February 2018, a collaboration between the Office of Historic Alexandria and the Urban League was initiated to conserve and interpret this historic site. That same year, the Urban League received $50,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
The City of Alexandria acquired the property from the Urban League in March 2020.
In June 2022, the Freedom House Museum reopened featuring three exhibitions that document Black history both locally in Alexandria and nationally across the United States.
See also
- Alexandria Black History Museum
- Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- Lumpkin's Jail
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Alexandria, Virginia
- Slave trade in the United States
- Slave markets and slave jails in the United States
- List of American slave traders
Further reading
External links
- Houses listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
- National Historic Landmarks located in Virginia
- Virginia brick buildings and structures
- American Civil War-era prison camps
- Federal-style architecture in Virginia
- Houses situated in Alexandria, Virginia
- Commercial properties completed in 1820
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Alexandria, Virginia
- 1828 establishments within Washington, D.C.
- Museums based in Alexandria, Virginia
- Virginia history museums
- Museums dedicated to African-American heritage in Virginia
- Virginia African-American historical sites
- Buildings and structures located in Alexandria, Virginia
- Virginia Historic Landmarks
- Virginia slavery history
- District of Columbia historical sites
- Slave jails across the United States
- Franklin & Armfield
- United States slave-trading enterprises
- American Civil War prison camps