The Gilmore Farm - a Freedman's Home
Join the Bobblehead George crew for a look at the Gilmore Farm, the only preserved and interpreted freedman’s home in the United States. As a site built during Reconstruction, Gilmore Cabin serves to teach the public about the legacies of slavery in America including political status, land ownership, and economic production. George Gilmore, born into slavery at Montpelier around 1810, was emancipated when the Union army occupied Orange County in 1865. Soon after, George, his wife, Polly, and their three children secured land from Dr. James Madison (the grandson of James Madison’s brother) and built a small house from the remnants of Confederate officer huts and established this farm. By 1873, the Gilmores had saved enough to build the larger cabin that stands today. George Gilmore gained full title to this land in 1910…four years before his death. By 1910, George and Polly’s son William occupied the farm with his family. Three generations of Gilmores lived on this farm prior to its sale in 1920. For freedmen, land ownership helped secure, not just sustenance, but also a community, independence, and stability. The Gilmore Cabin opened to the public in 2005 and stands as the only preserved and interpreted freedman’s home in the United States.
The Gilmore Cabin opened to the public in 2005 and stands as the only preserved and interpreted freedman’s home in the United States. As a site built during Reconstruction, Gilmore Cabin serves to teach the public about the legacies of slavery in America including political status, land ownership, and economic production.
The Gilmore Cabin opened to the public in 2005 and stands as the only preserved and interpreted freedman’s home in the United States. As a site built during Reconstruction, Gilmore Cabin serves to teach the public about the legacies of slavery in America including political status, land ownership, and economic production.
The Gilmore Cabin opened to the public in 2005 and stands as the only preserved and interpreted freedman’s home in the United States. As a site built during Reconstruction, Gilmore Cabin serves to teach the public about the legacies of slavery in America including political status, land ownership, and economic production.
The Gilmore Cabin opened to the public in 2005 and stands as the only preserved and interpreted freedman’s home in the United States. As a site built during Reconstruction, Gilmore Cabin serves to teach the public about the legacies of slavery in America including political status, land ownership, and economic production.