Public Meeting, November 17, 2005

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The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in Making a New Nation
Thursday, November 17, 2005, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Community College of Philadelphia, Bonnell Large Auditorium

This project will culminate in a new installation on the doorstep of the Liberty Bell Center commemorating the house where Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived, and the long-obscured story of the enslaved Africans who lived and worked there during Washington’s presidency.

The purpose of this event is to offer a progress report on this important commemoration, which has received financial commitments from Mayor John F. Street ($1.5 million in City funds) and Congressmen Chaka Fattah and Robert A. Brady ($3.6 million federal grant). Public input over the course of the last two years has been an important element in shaping the project to date. In a continuing effort to keep the public informed and to provide an opportunity for public comment, this forum is the first in a series to be conducted throughout the project, as we target a July 4, 2007 opening date.

With significant input from an Oversight Committee established by Mayor Street and INHP, the City recently issued a Request for Qualifications nationwide seeking