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Slave Auction Block

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1. What is the Slave Auction Block?

At the corner of William and Charles Streets is an elevated stone that is known as the Slave Auction Block, or simply the Auction Block (as it was believed to be used for other purposes). It is listed on the City’s walking tour as a point of interest.

2. Why has the City considered it important?

Slavery is a part of this nation’s history and Fredericksburg has chosen to acknowledge this reality in what it presents to its citizens and the visiting public. Fredericksburg was a town before the Civil War. Were there really many slaves in towns?

Urban slavery was quite real. According to the 1840 Census, Fredericksburg had 2,343 white citizens, 1,226 enslaved persons, and 408 free blacks, which made African Americans more than 40 percent of the town’s population.

3. Are we absolutely sure it was used an auction block?

The local tradition of identifying this feature as a slave auction block is strong. Sylvanus J. Quinn, who wrote The History of the City of Fredericksburg in 1908, identified the slave auction block in his work and it does not appear that anyone argued the point. Quinn had been able to consult those who had lived during the ante-bellum period and his information was first-hand.

4. Is there more than oral tradition to support the assertion that the slave block was actually used to sell people?

National Park Service historians have diligently combed through various records and found a dozen documented instances of slave sales at William and Charles Streets, from 1847 - 1862. The building on that corner was the old Planter’s Hotel and sales of various types of property occurred there frequently. There is no direct quote noting that a slave stood on the block to be sold, but there are statements made in the post-Civil War years by African Americans stating they were sold on that corner.

5. Why did slave sales end in 1862, instead of 1865 when the Civil War ended?

That was the year that the Union army arrived and the slave system rapidly fell apart as African Americans fled and freed themselves.

6. Has anyone previously asked that the slave auction block be removed?

City Council records from July 8, 1924, indicate that the local chamber of commerce petitioned the City Council to remove the block, claiming it had no associations to slavery and did not give a favorable impression of the community. In effect, they were arguing against the authority of local historian Sylvanus J. Quinn, who had died in 1910. The Daily Star newspaper from July 22, 1924, however, noted that several citizens claimed that they had witnessed slaves being sold from the block. At its meeting on August 12, 1924, the City Council’s Public Interest Committee recommended that “no action be taken” to remove the slave auction block and none was taken. The question of removal comes up again every now and then, usually when there are issues such as a stolen plaque (1984) or damage (2005) and the newspaper carries letters to the editor both for and against removal.

7. What about memorials to Confederates on National Park Service property on Sunken Road and a plaque on City of Fredericksburg property near Smith Run on Cowan Boulevard?

The Sunken Road area and the Smith Run area are battlefields. Designated battlefields have been described as museum-like settings, in which memorials can be considered appropriate.

8. Why is it thought to be important to keep the slave auction block in place?

The place where slaves were sold has a spatial relationship to other downtown locations, such as the Market House and the Market Square. It also sits in front of the building that was there at the time. In 2005, when the slave auction block was vandalized, there occurred a lengthy public discussion. Mary Washington University professor W. Brown Morton, III noted at the time that the slave auction block was potentially eligible for an individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places. He explained that moving the slave auction block would separate it from its historic and physical setting, thereby diminishing its significance.

9. Is it possible to determine if the slave auction block is really in its original location?

Professor Morton addressed this question in 2005, when he suggested an archaeological investigation be undertaken to answer this question and others.

10. What are the options for the future of the slave auction block?

Option A: Keep the slave auction block in its current location, but use the existing right of way to build a more prominent public space that buffers the encounter and places the artifact in context. This option envisions interpretive panels, protective measures, and a better design for pedestrian flow.

Option B: Replace the auction block with a historic marker and directions to its new location, likely in the Fredericksburg Area Museum. FAM is preparing a permanent exhibit that tells the story of the lives of the working people of Fredericksburg. Rendering of Right of Way

11. When did the discussion about the slave auction block’s future begin?

Councilor Frye placed the topic on the City Council agenda for August 22. The previous Sunday night, a group of about 150 people had gathered downtown to pray for reconciliation and healing, at the site of the stone block. The Council was asked to permit a plan on the future of the slave block to move forward, with a due date of September 26, 2017. With City Council’s authorization, the Mayor, Councilor Frye, the City Manager and City staff began work on the topic.

12. How can I provide my opinion on this matter?

You can submit your opinion through an online public comment form. The comment period will close on Monday, September 25 at noon. Online Public Comment Form

13. When will City Council receive my opinion?

City staff will compile all comments received into a document and provide them to City Council on Tuesday, September 26. The topic will be listed on the City Council meeting agenda for September 26 for preliminary discussion or direction to staff Council may wish to provide at that time.