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Meeting will address the issue of slavery

Independence National Historical Park will host a public meeting tonight to discuss the commemoration of slavery at the new Liberty Bell pavilion, now under construction on Independence Mall.

At the meeting, scheduled for 6 to 8 at the African American Museum at Seventh and Arch Streets, park officials will present plans for the memorialization of George Washington's slaves, who were quartered in his house more than 200 years ago. Both Washington and his successor, John Adams, lived in a mansion near Sixth and Market Streets.

Public interest in the site was aroused last year by reports that the new bell pavilion would be located near the old slave quarters and that the Park Service had no plans to discuss slavery in its exhibitions. Congress subsequently called for commemoration of Washington's eight Philadelphia slaves.

At tonight's meeting, the Park Service will make public the work of its design team, the Olin Partnership and Vincent Ciulla Design, which are considering both memorializing the slaves and how best to commemorate the Washington and Adams residence, the nation's first "White House."

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