Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (Cedar Hill)

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site preserves Cedar Hill, the Victorian home at 1411 W Street SE on a hilltop in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where Frederick Douglass lived from 1877 until his death on February 20, 1895. Born into slavery in Maryland around 1818, Douglass escaped in 1838 and became one of the most influential abolitionists, writers and orators of his century, publishing the newspaper The North Star and his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. He later served as U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, Recorder of Deeds and U.S. Minister to Haiti. The house was built in 1855 and he purchased it and expanded it to 21 rooms, with views across the Anacostia River to the Capitol. The home retains most of its original furnishings and more than 70 percent of the objects are the family's own, including books, paintings, and personal items. The study, called the Growlery, a small stone outbuilding on the property where Douglass worked, still stands. After Douglass's death, his wife Helen Pitts Douglass worked to preserve the home, and the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs managed the house from 1900 until the National Park Service took over in 1962, when it was designated a National Historic Site. Rangers lead tours through the rooms, interpreting Douglass's life chronologically and the stories of the people who lived at Cedar Hill. The visitor center at the base of the hill contains an introductory film and exhibits about Douglass's life, and the park offers views over the city from the hillside lawn. The site was restored and the visitor center was renovated in recent years. The house tour takes about 30 minutes, and a full visit lasts 60 to 90 minutes. The house is accessed by an uphill path from the visitor center, and guided tours are offered by timed ticket.