The Mary & Eliza Freeman Center
1135 Main Street( Downtown @ Main & Elm), Bridgeport, CT 06604
IG: @maryandelizafreemancenter
lucemy@freemancenterbpt.org
(475)-349-9312
Regular hours: Thurs-Fri, 1-7 PM; Sat 11 AM-4 PM
Open to the public free of charge
freemancenterbpt.org
Founded in 2009, The Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Center owns the Mary & Eliza Freeman Houses (circa 1848), under restoration, in Bridgeport’s South End. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places for significance to African Americans and women. The Freeman Center is creating a national African American historic site consisting of a museum and education center, and a digital research center. Mission: restore, preserve, and ensure the viability of the Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses; teach the history of Connecticut African Americans; revitalize the surrounding Bridgeport South End community; and facilitate the preservation and revitalization of other African American and greater Bridgeport historic/preservation communities.
Bridgeport Art Trail 2026 Schedule
Thursday, November 5
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM | On Display: Reimagining Little Liberia - Restoration & Reunion at Housatonic Museum of Art
Connecticut’s African American legacies are rich, layered. From land to sea, countryside to cityscape, African and Native Americans contributed to the development of this region – only to have their own stories omitted from official histories. Bridgeport’s “Little Liberia” (1821-1899) was even ignored on maps. Art, artifacts and scholarship tell this story. Little Liberia, deeply connected to a Black Atlantic network, created opportunities for CT’s Black and Native Americans beyond the denigration of slavery and servitude. On view at the Housatonic Museum of Art (left corridor), 900 Lafayette Boulevard, Bridgeport.
Friday, November 6
8:30 AM - 7:00 PM | On Display: Reimagining Little Liberia - Restoration & Reunion at Housatonic Museum of Art
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Special Exhibition Preview & Reception - A Fundraiser
Support the Mary & Eliza Freeman Center with an exclusive preview and reception for the new exhibit “Introducing The Little Liberians: Portraits In Black & Native Placemaking.”
Saturday, November 7
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Exhibit Premiere: Introducing The Little Liberians: Portraits In Black & Native Placemaking
Opening reception ends at 3:00 PM, on view until 6:00 PM. Celebrate Bridgeport’s vibrant legacy of freedom! In 1821, when Connecticut was still a slave state, free people of color - Black and Native American residents of CT, the East Coast, and the Caribbean - were the first to settle 15 blocks of what is now Bridgeport’s South End. They called their settlement “Liberia,” meaning “Free Land.” Today we refer to it as Little Liberia. Who were these proud, defiant, and prosperous visionaries? What did they look like? What were their stories? We found just a handful of images. But in 2019, colorful portraits created by Bridgeport middle school students brought Little Liberians to life! These portraits, artists’ renderings, live depictions, rare & AI images, plus the art you create, introduce the Little Liberians to new generations. When 90% of Black people were enslaved and Indigenous populations were decimated; when women couldn’t vote and CT’s constitution denied Black and Native residents, even veterans, full citizenship; these Americans bought land, established successful businesses, and ushered others – men, women, children - to freedom, jobs, and the comfort of homes. They fought for emancipation, the right to vote and constitutional rights for all. May these portraits and fascinating biographies transform memory into positive momentum toward equality and justice.
Sunday, November 8
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM | On display - Introducing The Little Liberians: Portraits In Black & Native Placemaking
Take one more opportunity to see “Introducing the Little Liberians” during the Bridgeport Art Trail. The exhibit will be on display after the celebration weekend as well.
