JMU Paul Jennings
Residence Hall
The signage package for this residential building at James Madison University works to tell the story of its namesake Paul Jennings, who was born into slavery and served Madison as his enslaved personal servant through the presidency and up until Madison’s death.
Client
James Madison University
Architect
VMDO Architects
Location
Harrisonburg, VA
Scope
Wayfinding, Installation, Environmental Graphics
“Jennings' story is one of relentless perseverance, being born into slavery but ending his life as a devoted father, property owner, abolitionist, and respected community member.”
– Raleigh Marshall,
a descendant of Paul Jennings and 2005 alumnus of James Madison University
Overcoming the Odds
Jennings later went on to buy his freedom, write a memoir, build a house, raise a family, and work as an abolitionist. In the context of a university that celebrates James Madison’s important role in the founding of our country, Paul Jennings Hall confronts the reality of Madison’s slave ownership.
Involving the Community
JMU worked with members of the Jennings family and the Montpelier community to develop content for a display honoring the legacy of Paul Jennings for future generations of students. Iconograph collaborated with JMU to organize the information into engaging, durable, and educational wall graphics divided into three sections—“The Mere Distinction of Color: The Enslaved of Montpelier,” “Overcoming the Odds: Paul Jennings,” and “The Right to Rise,” which discusses the legacy of Paul Jennings through the words of his descendants.
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