Voices of the Past: A Slave Dwelling Project Weekend

Park Event · Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park · Sep 11, 2026 – Sep 13, 2026

Join park staff and historic sites across Fredericksburg and Stafford to experience sites and stories associated with slavery in partnership with the Slave Dwelling Project organization. This is a collaborative event that Fredericksburg City has selected as a signature America 250 Event. This weekend brings together historic sites, descendant communities, scholars, and the public to explore the full and often underrepresented history of the area. Through immersive programming—including overnight stays in extant slave dwellings, living history demonstrations, campfire conversations, and public events—the program activates historic spaces as places of dialogue, reflection, and connection. Central to this work is the intentional inclusion and elevation of descendant voices, creating opportunities for individuals and families to reconnect with ancestral spaces while helping to shape how these histories are interpreted and shared.

Visit the Voices of the Past: A Slave Dwelling Project Weekend website for the full list of events, event descriptions, and registration information.

Programming at Chatham Saturday, September 12, 2026

Drop-In Events, 1 pm-5 pm

• Visit the Chatham Laundry: Step inside the Chatham Laundry featuring the story of enslaved laundress Ellen Mitchell.
• Laundry Demonstrations: Visit a living history "suds row" and learn about the laundresses who performed critical and often grueling work.
• 23rd United States Colored Troops: Learn about the soldiers who claimed their freedom and then fought to keep it.

Community Canvas Children's Activity Tent; 3 pm-5 pm

Drop by for a craft activity with the partner group Community Canvas from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Sparking Freedom Walking Tours; 1 pm & 2 pm , 45 minutes

Meet at the Chatham garden-side entrance. Resistance to enslavement took many forms at Chatham. Discover stories of this resistance and learn about the people whose actions challenged oppression.

The Story of Ellen Mitchell at 3 pm, 30 minutes

Learn the story of laundress, Ellen Mitchell, who fundraised for her freedom in this joint program with a park ranger and living historian.

United States Colored Troops at 4 pm, 30 minutes

Join living historians for a discussion of the United States Colored Troops and the enslaved man from Chatham that joined the army to fight for the freedom of others.

Source: National Park Service (public domain).