First Freedom Center

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First Freedom Center is a nonprofit in Richmond, Virginia, dedicated to teaching about freedom of religion and conscience as described in Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, enacted in 1786 in Richmond. The Center sits in the Shockoe Slip district, on the historical site where the statute became law. It opened in January 2015 after years of planning and was taken over by The Valentine in July 2015. The center has about 2,200 square feet of exhibits that trace religious liberty from Europe to today and features statues of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, plus changing displays about current events. Outside, there is a 27-foot spire and a wall etched with a paragraph from the 1786 statute. The Center hosts the annual First Freedom Award, with Virginia, national, and international recipients. It is connected to the nearby Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott, owned by Apple Hospitality.