NPS “After the Emancipation Proclamation I set up my own blacksmith shop and went to work. I felt like a man then, and as if I had something to work for.” These are the words of Andrew Redman as recounted in Clifton Johnson's Battleground Adventures: The Stories of Dwellers on the Scenes of Conflict in Some of the Most Notable Battles of the Civil War. Redman was born into endslavement in 1831, the same year that Nat Turner's Rebellion led to restriction of already limited freedoms for both free and enslaved members of the black community in Virginia. He was enslaved by William Lewis, the father of Lucinda Dogan, who eventually lived across the street from his blacksmith shop and with whom Redman would maintain a working relationship over the course of the following decades. After emancipation, Redman set up his shop on the corner of the Warrenton Turnpike and Groveton Road. There, he lived with his family and worked as a blacksmith. 
NPS Access to the site is off of Groveton Road. Look for signs indicating the blacksmith shop parking located at 6706 Groveton Road. Head to the top of the driveway and park in the small lot near the house. For dates when demonstrations and tours are scheduled, check our calendar or speak with staff in the visitor center the day of your visit. |
Last updated: June 22, 2024