Crew starts clearing site of slavery museum

Work begins on the tract for U.S. National Slavery Museum in Fredericksburg's Celebrate Virginia project. By PAMELA GOULD Date published: 12/22/2004 Work officially began at the U.S. National Slavery Museum site yesterday, meeting the organization's deadline of starting construction by the end of this year. By day's end, a Hydro-Ax 670 machine had removed scores of trees from the 38-acre site near Interstate 95. Eight to nine acres need to be cleared as the first step of building the museum. "From here, we're going to be moving rapidly to a 2007 date," museum spokesman James Damron said during a tour of the site yesterday. Museum officials have said the facility will open in February 2007, and Damron said the work is "on target." Yesterday's work is the first major step in building what is to be a three-level structure stretching over 250,000 square feet. Additional information: http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2004/122004/12222004/1612982