August 12: The Revolutionary Frederick Douglass’ Home Became a Museum Today in 1922

0 Posted by - February 21, 2024 - On This Date

Photo credits: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History

The Washington, D.C., home of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass became a dedicated national museum on Aug. 12, 1922.

In 1878, Douglass moved into the house, which he named Cedar Hill, with his wife, Anna Murray Douglass. After his death on Feb. 20, 1895, his widow founded the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association.

In 1916, the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association jointly owned the house with the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs until 1962, when the federal government took the deed to the house with the intent of restoring it.

Among the preserved sites at the Frederick Douglass museum is his “Growlery.” It was a secluded room with a stove, bed and desk where Douglass sometimes retreated to his work and writing. 

Source: LaToya Bowlah for the BET Network via BET.com

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