ABOUT THE MEMORIAL

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 3:00 pm, Farmington will hold a 20th Anniversary rededication ceremony of a memorial commemorating the lives of the African Americans who were enslaved at the property between 1809 and 1865.  Designed to provide a quiet spot to acknowledge the contributions of the Farmington slaves and to contemplate slavery and its local and national impact, the memorial consists of a bronze medallion set on a landscaped terrace that has been fitted with stone benches.  The medallion personifies some of the up to sixty enslaved African Americans present at Farmington in the early 19th century and makes reference to the hemp farming that necessitated their labors.

The medallion is the work of sculptor, William M. Duffy, a Louisville artist who has served as an instructor and artist in residence at a number of local schools and arts organizations. Duffy has been represented or showcased in many Louisville art exhibitions including, on several occasions, the Black Artist Exhibition sponsored by First National Bank and the Louisville Chapter of Links. He has done commissioned work for the Speed Museum, the Lincoln Foundation, the Louisville Orchestra, the Kentucky Minority Business Association and Historic New Harmony in Indiana among other organizations. 

The rededication ceremony on May 21 is being hosted by artist Ed Hamilton, former Farmington Executive Director Carolyn Brooks and Former Speed Museum of Art Director Peter Morrin.  The event will include remarks by Reverend Kevin Cosby, Poet Hannah Drake, Executive Director Kathy Nichols, and an unveiling by William M. Duffy of his next concept for recognizing the people enslaved at Farmington. 

The memorial is part of an ongoing effort to interpret the two cultures that played such an important role at Farmington: that of the wealthy farmer class represented by John Speed and his family and that of their enslaved African Americans.  Tours of the house will be offered after the program and a self-guided walking tour of the grounds that focuses on the interaction of the slaves with the plantation landscape, developed by the Farmington Interpretations Committee, is also available for visitors.