Reopening and Interpreting African American History Sites at James Madison’s Montpelier

FAIN: ZPP-283838-22

Montpelier Foundation (Orange, VA 22960-0551)
Kyle M. Stetz (Project Director: May 2021 to January 2026)

Reopening of Montpelier’s African American historic sites and exhibitions.

Montpelier has a wealth of sites and exhibits to help visitors learn about African American history, but most of these resources have been inaccessible for over a year due to capacity limits and staffing required for sanitizing, capacity monitoring, and interpretation. With the support of NEH, we propose to reopen these spaces and implement new interpretive strategies, helping visitors engage with our complex history in even more meaningful ways. We will reopen the award-winning The Mere Distinction of Colour (MDC) slavery exhibition; the reconstructed South Yard buildings where enslaved people lived and worked; the Gilmore Cabin, a freedman’s home; and a restored Jim Crow-era train depot. We will also relaunch the Enslaved Community Tour and station interpreters in the South Yard and MDC to help visitors process their experience. Finally, we will hold a planning workshop to reimagine the interpretation of Gilmore Cabin in partnership with the descendants of the family who lived there.