My Genealogy Hound
Alexandria, Virginia, Price and Birch, Franklin and Armfield, Slave Pen, historic photos
An historic photo view of Price, Birch & Co., Dealers in Slaves, Alexandria, Virginia. The original owners were Franklin & Armfield which were the largest dealers in slaves in the nation. During the 1820's to 1830's, the firm is said to have shipped 1000-1200 slaves per year to slave markets in New Orleans, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi.
After several changes in ownership, the last owners of the firm were Price, Birch & Co. as shown in this photo. Alexandria, Virginia (which is just outside of Washington, D.C.) was quickly captured by the Union Army near the beginning of the Civil War (1861) at which time the building was converted to a prison for Confederate prisoners. Alexandria remained within the control of Union forces for the entire duration of the war, 1861-1865. See the additional photos and description below.
A view of Price, Birch & Co., Dealers in Slaves, from another angle. Note the Union soldiers who were probably guards of the Confederate soldiers who were held prisoner here.
A view looking into the slave holding pen at Price, Birch & Co., Dealers in Slaves, Alexandria, Virginia.
An interior view of the slave holding pen at Price, Birch & Co., Alexandria, Virginia. Note the doors to the left which were holding cells. A Union soldier stands guard in the entrance. All of the historic photos shown are from the Civil War period (1861-1865) when the former slave holding pens were used as a prison for captured Confederate prisoners.
This building still exists at 1315 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia and is now known as Freedom House. The building is now a National Historic Landmark and operated by the National Park Service.
See also:
Christ Church, Alexandria, Virginia
Soldiers Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia
View additional Civil War related historic photos, images and vintage postcards
View additional Virginia historic photos, images, and vintage postcards
View historic photos, images and postcards for other topics and locations
Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of family biographies, vintage maps, historic photographs, and vintage postcards.
Follow My Genealogy Hound on Facebook: