Museum 1619: Rooted in Resilience

Museum 1619 is a Museum that explores the history of African American resilience through the medium of architecture. The early settlement types of the African Americans post abolition, the dugout shelter and the community space, form the basis of Museum 1619. Rather than building a series of volumes and then placing them on the site, Museum 1619 emerges from the site. The terrain is brought up on top of the buildings to preserve the park and make the landscape become part of the architecture. The connections between the volumes are physical and visual and are created by the use of green roofs and spaces for gathering. Museum 1619 aims to transform historical information and memory into a physical space that allows for contemplation, education and community. The Museum is sited on the site of Old Point Comfort in the state of Virginia.