Founded in 1868 as an institute of higher learning for newly freed people, Hampton University has grown into one of the nation's top-ranked colleges and universities. This prestigious institution, overlooking the Hampton River, is the site of six National Historic Landmarks, including Emancipation Oak, where President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was first read to the residents of Hampton. Other points of interest include the Hampton University Museum, the Booker T. Washington Memorial Garden and Statue and the William R. And Norma B. Harvey Library, which features a powerful mural by Dr. John Biggers.