WASHINGTON 鈥� On the second floor of a historic home on the corner of Fairfax and Cameron streets in Old Town Alexandria, Susan Hellman delivers some bad news.
鈥淭his poor gentleman here is having chloroform; he鈥檚 having his hand amputated,鈥� she said.
The head of the gentleman to whom she is referring is covered in a white cloth and his body is cloaked in blue 鈥� the uniform of a Union soldier.
Hellman, director of the , is leading a tour through the museum鈥檚 鈥淢ercy Street鈥�-inspired exhibit, where rooms and hallways are filled with Civil War-era medicines, objects and photographs from 础濒别虫补苍诲谤颈补鈥檚 Mansion House Hospital, which is now the setting for
During the Civil War, the Green family home (now known as the Carlyle House) and adjacent hotel were turned into a hospital to treat wounded soldiers when the city was occupied by the Union Army. The show tells the story of the doctors and nurses who worked there, and the culture and climate of the city at the time.
鈥淢ercy Street鈥檚鈥� popularity gave Visit Alexandria an opportunity . During the first season, the organization and its partners听designed several exhibits and tours for fans, including a self-guided walking tour of sites featured on the show and in-depth discussions on topics such as medical heroism.
鈥淥ur city was filled with soldiers, civilians, female volunteers, doctors, wounded fighting men from both sides, spies and African-American refugees,鈥� said Claire Mouledoux of Visit Alexandria.
The start of the second season听(Jan. 22, 2017) will usher in a whole new lineup of experiences, including events that highlight the food, fashion and formalities of the Civil War era.
Just a few blocks from Carlyle House is the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, another main attraction for 鈥淢ercy Street鈥� fans. Everything in the apothecary, which opened in 1792, has been left untouched since its closure in 1933 鈥� including the medicines in the bottles.
The museum鈥檚 Lauren Gleason points to an account book from 1861-1862. The record shows that the apothecary sold medicines to the Union Army, which would have been distributed to Mansion House Hospital.
The ledger is part of an archival exhibit currently on display. In January, the apothecary will feature a new exhibit focused on the diseases of the Civil War era and the drugs that were available to treat them.
Medicine isn鈥檛 the only storyline on 鈥淢ercy Street.鈥� The show also depicts what life was like during the war for African-Americans in Alexandria.
Audrey Davis, director of the and official historical consultant for 鈥淢ercy Street,鈥� said the show highlights contraband in American history.
鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 know the term contraband, at least in that context,鈥� she said.
When Alexandria was occupied by the Union Army, slaves came into the city in search of asylum. They could work for the Union, earn a living wage and live independently.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been estimated that close to 20,000 contraband came through Alexandria during the course of the war,鈥� said Davis, who is also the descendant of a contraband.
础濒别虫补苍诲谤颈补鈥檚 on South Washington and Church streets is a burial ground for more than 1,700 contraband who came to the city looking for freedom. A register at the cemetery lists the first and last names of all who died.
Of course, you don鈥檛 need to be a fan of 鈥淢ercy Street鈥� to visit the sites that inspired the show. The organized experiences lend the perfect opportunity to brush up on your Civil War history.
A few 鈥淢ercy Street鈥� events planned for 2017:
- : A five-course seated dinner with 鈥淢ercy Street鈥� producers at Carlyle House, May 20.
- Jan. 12 at Lyceum.
- at the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum & Restaurant, Jan. 26.听
- African American historic site paintings by artist Sherry Z. Sanabria, until May 27.
- at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, recurring weekly on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday until Dec. 31, 2017.听
- at Carlyle House, June 4.
