Freedman's Village

After the outbreak of the Civil War, escaped slaves sought refuge at Union camps and thousands crowded into the Federal City. In response to unhealthy conditions in Washington, the government selected a site on Arlington Heights in May, 1863, to provide freed slaves with housing and opportunities for work, training, and education. Freedman’s Village, located in Arlington National Cemetery, was soon built and formally dedicated on December 4, 1863. It included over 50 two-story duplex houses, two churches, a school, a meeting hall, a hospital, and a home for the aged and infirm. Its population eventually exceeded 1,000. Though intended to be temporary, the village lasted into the 1890s, when it was closed and its residents dispersed.

Arlington, Virginia · United States