Slave Trail Commission unveils detailed Shockoe Bottom plans
Credit/Stockton Clay Architects
Rendering of proposed Shockoe Heritage Site Master Plan showing both a slavery museum and glass pavilion covering the Lumpkin Jail archaeological site.
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SLAVE TRAIL MASTER PLAN • Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 |
The Richmond Slave Trail Commission yesterday released its vision to develop a $100 million to $150 million heritage site in Shockoe Bottom, including a slavery museum, an African-American genealogical center and a glass-enclosed Lumpkin's Jail archeological site.
Del. Delores L. McQuinn, D-Richmond, chairwoman of the commission, emphasized that plans for a 4.5-acre site between Main Street Station and Interstate 95 are preliminary but said she has begun to court prospective directors of a nonprofit to oversee the project. She cited Mayor Dwight C. Jones as a supporter and said someone of national or international prominence would be recruited to lead the project.
"We're really trying to create an international destination, because we've already got the triangle," she said, referring to the Reconciliation Triangle project involving Richmond; Benin, West Africa; and Liverpool, England, to apologize for their country's roles in the slave trade.
The commission's efforts to explain the city's role in the slave trade are expected to take shape in the next six months, with the placement of 16 markers along the 2½-mile Slave Trail, from the site of the Manchester Docks to the site of First African Baptist Church. Each of the 3-foot-by-3-foot panels is to be set on a granite base and describe an aspect of the area's history. The markers will add to the nine existing sites on the Slave Trail and could be expanded further to identify more than 50 sites of slave traders and auctioneers.
The commission has about $100,000 of city money that could be used to pay for the initial set of markers, but it's also talking to potential corporate and other sponsors. Project officials also are planning to install some initial landscaping to protect the Lumpkin's Jail archaeological site, which is ultimately envisioned to be enclosed by a glass-walled pavilion.
The Shockoe Heritage Site Master Plan also calls for a 15,000-square-foot genealogy center in the city-owned Seaboard building, an adjoining garden, a 50,000to 75,000-square-foot slavery museum, and a tree-lined area to mark the Negro Burial Ground. The plan was developed with the help of Stockton Clay Architects, a partnership between BAM Architects and SMBW Architects and presented yesterday to the City Council's Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee.
"I think it's an ideal time to do this," said Councilman Douglas G. Conner Jr., chairman of the committee. "This is history. This is our history."
The proposed museum would rival ones planned for the National Mall in Washington and Fredericksburg. McQuinn did not rule out working with former Gov. and Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, whose museum project in Fredericksburg has stalled.
"We're going to build a national slavery museum there," McQuinn said of Shockoe Bottom. "We have authentic history right there at that spot. We don't have to import it or exaggerate it. You don't have to rely on history books. It's based on history."
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or
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Reader Reactions
ddub, we simply won’t agree that Charlotte is a model to follow. Shiny steel towers look pretty from a distance but they don’t necessarily add anything to the street scene which in my opinion is what makes a City. Richmond’s downtown is dense, walkable, and has very interesting architecture. Tall towers should be built when there is a demand for them, not just to boost the ego of folks who compare cities by the size of their skyline. Richmond’s downtown has filled in considerably in the 8 years I have been here and will continue to do so as people tired of the same old strip malls and chain stores decide to spend their money and time in an area that offers something more. This museum alone isn’t the fix-all for downtown but an important piece of the puzzle in making downtown the thriving cultural area it can and should be. I wonder what opponents of this project feel would be a better fit to be built on top of a slave burial ground? TGI Fridays? Another Dave and Buster’s?
Cincy and Charlotte may be good examples to follow. The city that comes to my mind when it comes to integrating history into modern setting is Boston. An emphasis on keeping historical structures is at the forefront. Richmond should have the same emphasis and we should also have the same progressive attitude towards development. A museum is not a bad idea and I agree there would be a natural interest by a large group of Americans. However I think it will be a failure if the focus is slavery. No one goes on vacation to get depressed. The focus should be a positive one. But we are kidding ourselves if we think that a museum is going to lift our city out of the economic malaise it is in. The people of the city need to start realizing that unless you get some corporations interested in the area nothing will get better. Election after election they vote in whatever democrat promises a better social welfare agenda. It seems they never stop to think that a vibrant economy equals a better job where social welfare will mean nothing. We will never have a vibrant economy by building museums. The only wat to get there is by having pro-business and pro-education leaders. Industry is attracted to healthy business climate and top notch work force, not history.
citycynic: Thanks. You could have just explained that in the first place, instead of just saying “people won’t come,“ like it was just an opinion you had. Now, instead of me being annoyed at your cheap insult, I’m finding myself agreeing with you.
ddub28: Richmond wouldn’t dare because most don’t try and build impressive buildings here like in Charlotte or other cities. They know the resistance to change here, the general lack of interest in downtown in this region and the years of red tape in order to get a huge project like that off the ground. No one is willing to risk their money to do it, they just go elsewhere. Hopefully projects like the riverfront condo tower and the tower set to go up near the Jefferson (is that still happening?) will help bring more construction/revitalization to downtown Richmond.
Jeff E - Richmond’s problem is that all it does is preserve its past. Yea, there are some historic things that are neat, but downtown doesn’t have anything that wows anybody. Yea, places like Charlotte bulldoze 90% of its old buildings, but it does put some pretty impressive stuff in its skyline. Cities like Cincinnati prove that you can build impressive structures while preserving old. They are now putting up a 600+ ft tower call Queen City Square. It will look pretty impressive when it’s complete. Now that’s something progressive that Richmond wouldn’t dare do.
No one cares! What a waste. Maybe you could put a museum in Africa where the slaves were first sold by their own people.
Waste of time and money. Interest would be minimal. The whole triangle apologizing idea is laughable.
“If I want entertainment I go to NOVA, VA Beach,“
Yeah, the last I heard the VA Beach Opera, Symphony, Ballet, Friday Night Art Walk, Museum of Fine Arts, Historical Society, Science Museum, Regent University arts series, etc. were all waaay better than here in Richmond.
ddub, I’ve been before and I’m glad that’s not what happened to the City itself. But people seem to think preserving old buildings and acknowledging our past is somehow a bad thing. Richmond wouldn’t be what it is without its history and great architecture. I don’t see any reason we can’t preserve/recognize our past and move forward at the same time.
Jeff E - You must not of been out to the west end before b/c Short Dump is nothing but strip malls and seas of parking lots. Strip malls are all over the metro area. I’m all for something new in Richmond, but this slave trail museum would be a complete waste of money. It again emphasizes Richmond’s past. How about something much more progressive…
ok grizzman - you want facts? Here they are:
Fact #1: In a RTD poll on 4/16/09, when asked if Richmond should have a slave musiem, 52% of the resopondents said “no”. This is in the town where the slave trail existed and one would expect there to be overwhelming interest. But NO - not even half of those responding want it built.
Fact #2: Doug Wilder’s project in Norfolk is dead because even Bill Cosby and an internet fun raising campaign fizzled. Again, the interest wasn’t there. So now the billboard heralding the project sports a Shoney’s advertisement.
Biggest fact #3: The Smithsonian Institute is opening a $500 million National Museum of African History in 2015. That’s one hour away and surrounded by all of the other exhibits the SI has to offer. Why in the heck would anyone spend their limited tourist dollars to visit Richmond’s slave trail when that kind of tourist attraction is only an hour away????
Now go ahead and accuse me of making it all about me again.
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