Freedman's Village

Freedman's Village was a settlement for recently emancipated enslaved people established by the U.S. Army on December 4, 1863 during the Civil War. Situated on land that was originally part of Robert E. Lee's Arlington plantation, Freedman's Village consisted of about 50 duplex houses, a school, a chapel, a hospital, and a home for the indignant. Officials intended for the village to be a model community for African Americans transitioning out of enslavement.

In 1868, Freedman's Village residents successfully pushed back against a failed attempt at closing Freedman's Village by the U.S. government, after which they were permitted to purchase and rent larger lots. Freedman's Village continued to develop during the Reconstruction Era, and by 1888, the community had grown to 170 households and featured shops, a brick church, and a variety of social organizations. It also became a center of black political power and influence during this period.

As Reconstruction faltered in the 1870s, government support for Freedman's Village declined, and Alexandria County's white political leaders and developers sought to remove the Village. This culminated in the U.S. government once again pursuing the closure of Freedman's Village in the 1880s with support from the Army. John B. Syphax, a black politician and member of the Freedman Village community, secured compensation for residents, which combined with tax reimbursements amounted to a total of $75,000. Following their eviction, which was complete by 1900, many former Village residents resettled in Arlington's existing black enclaves and established new black settlements during the 1880s and 1890s. Former residents brought with them organizations and institutions they established in Freedman's Village, forming the social fabric of Arlington's African American community.