Freedom House Museum

  • Also Known As: 1315 Duke Street Apartments
  • Historically Known As: Franklin and Armfield Office

  • Address: 1315 Duke St
  • Vicinity: W of S Payne St
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Phone: (703) 836-2858
  • Travel Genus: Sight , Visit
  • Sight Category: Museums

Between 1828 and 1836, Isaac Franklin, in partnership with John Armfield, created the largest-scale slave trading operation in the antebellum South. They established their headquarters in Alexandria (then a part of the District of Columbia), adjacent to an area with a surplus of slaves available at low prices. This building served as the firm's Alexandria office, where Franklin purchased slaves who were then transported New Orleans and Natchez, where Armfield handled sales. At its peak, their firm had agents in almost every important Southern city; owned a fleet of sailing ships; and trafficked in thousands of slaves annually. In the process, both partners became enormously wealthy. After Franklin and Armfield sold the this building, the house continued as a center for slave trading until 1861; during the Civil War, it housed captured Confederate soldiers. - NPS


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Timeline

Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
1815/00/00 Robert Young Architect Built sometime between 1810 and 1820 for General Robert Young
1828/00/00 Franklin and Armfield Slave-traders Franklin and Armfield lease offices, jail and slave pen Enslavement of Solomon Northup

Data »

Particulars for Freedom House Museum:
Architectural Style Adamesque
Sight Category Building
Area of Significance Business
Area of Significance Commerce
Architectural Style Federal Style
Criteria Historic Event
Level of Significance National
Owner Private
Crime Slavery
Area of Significance Social History



US National Registry of Historic Places Data »

Accurate at time of registration:

PLACE DETAILS
Registry Name:
Registry Address:
Registry Number: 78003146
Resource Type:
Owner: Private
Architect: Young,Robert
Architectural Style: Other, Federal
Attribute: Adamesque
Other Certification: Designated National Landmark
Nominator Name: National Historic Landmark
CULTURAL DETAILS
Level of Significance: National
Area of Significance: Commerce, Social history
Applicable Criteria: Event
Period of Significance: 1850-1874, 1825-1849
Significant Year: 1828, 1836, 1861
Historic Function: Commerce, Trade
Historic Sub-Function: Business
Current Function: Domestic
Current Sub-Function: Multiple dwelling

Creative Works »

WorkTypeAsNotedInCreatorNote
Twelve Years a Slave Book Solomon Northup Slave trading office and jail owned by the company that bought and sold Solomon Northup

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