Freedom House Museum Exterior Rehabilitation Reaches New Stage 

The Office of Historic Alexandria began the process of rehabilitating the exterior of the Freedom House Museum at 1315 Duke Street in June of 2024 and now the restoration work has reached a new stage!  As the scaffolding on the south elevation begins to come down and work moves to the north side of the building, the newly rehabilitated front façade – returned to its pre-Civil War appearance – is being revealed! 

Key elements you will see include: 

• Replacement of the ca. 1905 gambrel roof with a side-gable roof;
• Returning a second entryway to the first floor;
• Adjusting the west elevation window openings to be consistent with Civil War era photographs;
• Returning 12 over 12 sash single-hung windows and shutters to the front façade; and
• Updating the colors of the building using the results of scientific paint analysis.  

While we are excited to share this exciting rehabilitation update, the two doors to the Freedom House Museum and their hardware are still being fabricated so the museum will be closed through the end of July.

We invite you to learn more about this work by visiting the Freedom House Museum Rehabilitation Project page. The full exterior rehabilitation project is guided by extensive historical documentation of the building and was recommended in the Historic Structures Report and supported by the community in the Comprehensive Plan.

This important work is being carried out by Oak Grove Restoration Company on behalf of the City of Alexandria and is expected to be completed by September 2025. This project is being funded through private donations and Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Historic Resources funds, as well as a Save America’s Treasures grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

About the Office of Historic Alexandria 

The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serve as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.

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For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711. 

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703-746-3960.