Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) Selects Steven Holl Architects to Partner in Developing New Museum Facilities

On September 1, 2010 the African American Civil War Museum celebrated the beginning of construction on the permanent home for the museum. The ceremony on the grounds of the Grimke Building, 1925 Vermont Ave. NW, began at 9 am and featured representatives from the community, the government and the board of directors. The architect builders and curators were on hand to present displays outlining what the new home for the African American Civil War Museum will look like.

Frank Smith, Founding Director said “We have all our permits and plans approved, the workers are all assembled and ready to go and we should be back here with a ribbon cutting for a vastly expanded museum with many more exhibits to accommodate our tourists, students and scholars”.

Construction financing on the museum is being financed by a capital funding from the City Council of the District of Columbia. The actual construction is being handled by the DC Public library office of contracts and procurement. The museum is developing the Grimke gymnasium in this phase of its program. In the next phase, it is anticipated that the Department of Corrections and the Fire and EMS Department will be relocated to bigger and better quarters and the main building will be available for further expansion by the museum.

The African American Civil War Memorial are part of a “String of Pearls” that is designed to use cultural tourism to enhance the community and attract tourists to the historic U Street community.

In January 1999, the Civil War Memorial Museum opened to the public. Using photographs, documents and state of the art audio visual equipment, the museum helps visitors understand the African American’s heroic and largely unknown struggle for freedom. The museum is located two blocks west of the Memorial in the historic U street corridor. To assist visitors, researchers, and descendants of USCT, the Museum also offers important educational and research tools.

Image: African American Civil War Museum

www.afroamcivilwar.org

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