Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum

Discover the history of Washington’s Naval Yard, one of Washington DC’s best kept secrets.

Sketch of the Washington Navy Yard

Come hear historian Tom Frezza outline the Civil War history of the Washington Navy Yard on January 17 at 6 PM at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum.

For most people, the Washington Navy Yard is just another walled off military complex in the District. But behind these walls is a rich history spanning from 1798 to the present. The time period during the American Civil War was no exception. During the war, the Navy Yard was an integral part of the defense of Washington. From the early days of the war, when Commandant Franklin Buchanan resigned his commission to join the Confederacy, leaving the Yard to Commander John A. Dahlgren, to the dark last days of the war when Lincoln assassination conspirators were brought to the Yard following their capture, the Washington Navy Yard witnessed it all. Come and learn about the history of one of the best kept secrets of Washington DC.

The presentation begins at 6 PM on January 17 at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum. The presentation will be pay-what-you-please.

Thomas Frezza is the Director of Education at the National Museum of the United States Navy. Originally from Rhode Island, he received in bachelors in Parks, Recreation and Eco Tourism from Unity College in Maine in 2008, after which he moved to the area to work for the National Park Service at Harpers Ferry. In 2010 he received his master’s in History from Shippensburg University, while also starting a job with the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Working his way up through the ranks of the museum, he developed staff and docent training, wrote and facilitated tours, and worked with artifacts in his final position as Collections Manager. Today he leads programs, develops curriculum, writes and leads tours, and is one of the public faces of the National Museum of the United States Navy. When not in the museum Tom can be found touring other museums and historic sites, and volunteering his time as an interpreter at many of them. He is also known for backpacking with his wife and two dogs.