Named for the Haitian revolutionary, L’Ouverture Hospital opened in February 1864 near the Freedmen’s barracks in Alexandria to serve sick and injured United States Colored Troops (USCT). Designed by the U.S. Army, the hospital complex could accommodate 600 patients and occupied the space of a city block. Besides USCTs, the hospital also served African American civilians, many of whom had escaped from slavery and sought refuge in Alexandria. In December 1864, more than 400 patients at the hospital led a successful protest demanding that USCTs be buried in Alexandria National Cemetery with full honors rather than being interned at the Freedmen’s Cemetery.
Original Sponsor: Department of Historic Resources
Geographic Location: Alexandria
Physical Description of Location: Proposed Location: block between 1300 Duke, 1300 Prince, 200 S. Payne and 200 S. West Streets
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