African American Civil War Museum

The African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum established a national monument to honor the more than two hundred thousand U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) who served in the Civil War. As a tribute to these soldiers, the Spirit of Freedom: African American Civil War Memorial was dedicated in July of 1998 and lists the names of 209,145 soldiers. Our main exhibit, Glorious March to Liberty: Civil War to Civil Rights, tells the story of African Americans in United States beginning with the 1600’s through the 1960’s and compliments the memorial by providing an in-depth of the United States Colored Troops.

The museum is located in the historic Grimke School Building, at 1925 Vermont Ave, NW Washington DC, directly across the street from the memorial. Built in the 1880’s, the school was named for Archibald Grimke [1849-1930], born a slave in Charleston, South Carolina yet, ultimately, became the second African American to graduate from Harvard Law School. The Grimke family was recognized as one of the most prominent African American families in Washington, DC history, leaving a remarkable legacy in education, civil rights, religion, and the arts. The museum space is a total of 5000 square feet with an auditorium that is about 1800 square feet. The auditorium typically is divided from the exhibit by movable paneled walls that can be moved to allow for additional space when needed.