Wilder halts fundraising for slavery museum

Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder greeted visitors as the Hallelujah sculpture was unveiled at the proposed slavery museum site in 2007.

By: Will Jones | Times-Dispatch
Published: March 04, 2010

Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder has notified the state that he is no longer raising money for his planned slavery museum in Fredericksburg.

Wilder told the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in a letter dated last Friday that the U.S. National Slavery Museum had closed its offices and "is not soliciting contributions at this time" because of the weakened economy. But he said he still intends to build the museum in Fredericksburg.

The letter prompted state officials this week to end their review into whether the museum still was seeking donations in violation of the Virginia Solicitation of Contributions Law.

The letter also prevented a news release that would have warned would-be donors that the museum is not registered to solicit money and that contributions "may be used for noncharitable purposes."

J. Michael Wright, the state's manager of regulatory programs, sent Wilder a letter Feb. 18 advising that the news release could be issued based on the department's having heard nothing from the museum after two previous letters.

As part of its standard practices, the department starting looking into the museum's status after project officials did not submit 2008 financial statements last May. Officials assumed the museum still was soliciting because they had not heard otherwise, said Elaine J. Lidholm, a spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Wilder, who is chairman of the museum's board of directors, sent a copy of his letter to the Richmond Times-Dispatch this week in response to questions about the museum's delinquent real estate taxes in Fredericksburg.

The tax bill had increased to $81,607 as of yesterday, according to the city treasurer's office. The city could force a sale of the 38-acre property if the amount isn't paid by Dec. 31. A call to Wilder's office at Virginia Commonwealth University yesterday was not returned.

In his letter to the state, Wilder does not address when or whether the real estate taxes will be paid, but he says the museum's inactive status could be temporary.

"As soon as economic conditions improve, the museum will take all necessary and appropriate steps to reopen its offices and resume solicitation of funds," Wilder wrote. "It is the intention of the board to maintain the museum's location in Fredericksburg."

Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.