On September 6, 2014, Alexandria officially dedicated the Contrabands and Freedmen’s Cemetery Memorial.
Rediscovered during historical research in the 1990s, the cemetery had long been lost beneath modern development. Archaeological investigations confirmed over 1,700 burials of formerly enslaved individuals and African American refugees who died during the Civil War.
Today, the restored memorial honors their memory and stands as a powerful tribute to those who sought freedom and found sanctuary in Alexandria.