Founding father's passageway for slaves discovered

PHILADELPHIA — Archaeologists unearthing the remains of George Washington's presidential home have found a hidden passageway used by nine slaves who lived there, raising questions about whether the ruins should be incorporated into a new exhibit at the site.

The underground passageway, steps from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, was designed so Washington's guests would not see slaves as they slipped in and out of the main house.

"As you enter the heaven of liberty, you literally have to cross the hell of slavery," said Michael Coard, an attorney who leads a group that worked to have slavery recognized at the site.

Washington lived and conducted presidential business at the house in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was the capital.

The findings have created a quandary for National Park Service and city officials planning an exhibit at the house. They are trying to decide whether to incorporate the remains into the exhibit or go forward with plans to fill in the ruins and build an abstract display about life in the house.

Aside from the passageway, archaeologists have uncovered remnants of a bow window, an architectural precursor to the White House's Oval Office, and a large basement never noted in historical records.

Most of Washington's slaves lived at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia. When he died in 1799, he had more than 300 slaves. In his will, he arranged for them to be freed after the death of his wife.