Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones has organized two public meetings, on September 10 and September 15, to present his proposal for a small museum at the Lumpkin’s Jail archaeological site. The following is a statement by Stephanie K. Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“We appreciate the mayor’s efforts to create a small museum to memorialize the history of a place once known as ‘Devil’s Half-Acre,’ and to share those plans with the public. Unfortunately, his proposal for a traditional museum at the Lumpkin’s Jail site does not go far enough in honoring a place where thousands of enslaved persons were bought, sold, and tortured.

“We join our partners in supporting an alternative plan that would create a memorial park and an interpretive center on nine acres of historically significant land in Shockoe Bottom. This innovative concept would better acknowledge Richmond’s unvarnished history, recognize the continuing modern day impacts of slavery, and promote interactive dialogue to move forward and embrace a just and peaceful world. In order to fully mark Shockoe Bottom’s past and convey its meaning for future generations, we urge the public to join us in calling on the mayor to do more to tell Shockoe’s story.”

BACKGROUND ON SHOCKOE BOTTOM
Shockoe Bottom in downtown Richmond, Virginia, was once a national center of the American slave trade. Much of Shockoe Bottom has since been razed and paved over, leaving many of its archaeological resources undisturbed and unexcavated. Today this area is threatened by a stadium project, championed by the mayor of Richmond, that would destroy the archaeological remains which lie beneath. The National Trust, Preservation Virginia, and their local allies believe Shockoe Bottom must be understood as a place of endurance and resistance, and should be treated as a Site of Conscience, where the public can remember past struggles for freedom and work together to address the contemporary legacies of injustice.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places. PreservationNation.org. Visit SavingPlaces.org/Shockoe for more information.