African American Civil War Memorial & Museum: Only one of its kind in the USA
Commemorating the service of more than 209,000 soldiers and sailors of color in the War Between the States, the African American Civil War Memorial & Museum is the only one of its kind in the country and includes a 10-foot-tall outdoor sculpture and names of those who served throughout the four-year-long conflict.
Commissioned by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities and completed in 1997, the stone sculpture, crafted by Ed Hamilton of Louisville, Kentucky, titled “The Spirit of Freedom,” is located at the eastern entrance to the U Street/Cardozo Metrorail station entrance. The memorial was the idea of the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and was transferred to the control of the National Park Service on Oct. 27, 1994 for ongoing management.
The museum at 1200 U Street, N.W., near the memorial, officially opened its doors in January 1999, but the D.C. City Council has appropriated $5 million to provide a new home at the historic Grimke Building, right on the U Street circle itself, and renovation and moving is expected to occur in late 2010.
Included in the museum are displays of photographs, newspaper articles, replicas of period clothing and uniforms and weaponry from the war.
The African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation Registry documents the family ancestries of more than 2,000 offspring of those who have served with USCT and invites descendants to register. Visitors can search for relatives who have registered in the Descendants Registry.
To schedule a tour of the museum, call the museum at 202-667-2667. The tour includes a 15 to 30-minute lecture highlighting the contributions of African Americans during the Civil War, followed by a question and answer period. Upon request the museum will supplement the lecture with the award-winning documentary "Fight for Freedom," which details the formation of the United States Colored Troops and their role in the abolishment of slavery. At the conclusion of the presentation, visitors are encouraged to view the display at their leisure.
Entrance to the museum is free, but donations are encouraged. Groups of more than 40 should arrange tours in advance by calling the museum three weeks ahead of time.
- by Jim Brown , Washington Reporter for HelloMetro
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Jim Brown Jim Brown is a longtime freelance aviation, travel and destination writer and communications professional. A former reporter for Aviation Daily, Air Safety Week and World Airline News, Jim served for more than 15 years as a senior public relations executive for American Airlines, TWA and AirTran Airways.
