Slavery museum stymied

Near battlefields in Fredericksburg, Va., where soldiers fought to preserve slavery, a solemn stone figure stands, arms outstretched, face turned skyward as if rejoicing over the broken shackles etched into its thick arms.

The sculpture anchors the Spirit of Freedom Garden, a gathering of artwork that is the first, and so far the only, sign of a $200-million national slavery museum long anticipated in a region heavy with Civil War history.

Nearly five years after a ceremonial groundbreaking, there is no date set for construction to begin. Neither developer Silver Companies nor architect C.C. Pei could say when the museum would open.

Millions of dollars in private and public funds have been committed to the project, but organizers say fundraising has slowed amid a struggling economy.