The historic mitchelville freedom park (hmfp) will engage key stakeholders to develop an exhibition and interpretive plan

The Mitchelville Preservation Project Fund received a $239,828 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (CFDA 45.309) program, effective October 1, 2025, with completion targeted by September 30, 2027. This award supports the development of a comprehensive exhibition and interpretive plan for the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park museum in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The project will convene historians, exhibition and curatorial experts, and the park's principal archaeologist to establish the conceptual framework, thematic content, and design elements for the museum's five sections, which will center on the themes of freedom, democracy, citizenship, and opportunity.

The funded initiative will produce a detailed blueprint for museum installation, including a resource inventory, preliminary content outlines and storyboards, a curatorial plan with design concepts, detailed exhibition scripts, construction drawings, technical specifications, and a comprehensive timeline and budget for future implementation. The project team will synthesize archaeological evidence, scholarly research, primary source documents, descendant interviews, and artifacts to inform the exhibition development process. This planning effort will establish the foundation for the museum component's development and enable the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park to move forward with a professionally vetted, evidence-based exhibition strategy.

This project will bring together historians, exhibition/curatorial experts, and hmfp's principal archaeologist to determine the concepts, themes, objects, and exhibition elements that should be included in the hmfp museum. The exhibition content and design team will utilize archaeological evidence, scholarly research, primary source documents, and descendant interviews and artifacts. The project will produce a resource inventory, preliminary content outlines and storyboards, a curatorial plan and design concepts, detailed scripts, construction drawings, specifications along with a timeline, and budget for future installation. The completed plan will serve as the blueprint for the five sections of the museum component and will center the themes of freedom, democracy, citizenship, and opportunity.