Frederick Douglass 3 Day Itinerary

May 2012

FREDERICK DOUGLASS THREE-DAY ITINERARY Download & Print


Take in history and stunning views at Cedar Hill. The residence of the slave-turned-abolitionist has been designated the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. The nearby Anacostia Community Museum hosts collections on black life, and an exhibit on Negro League baseball. Park it at the Emancipation Memorial in Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill. Paid for by freed slaves, it was the first memorial erected in DC to honor Lincoln. President Grant attended the 1876 dedication ceremony and listened as Frederick Douglass delivered the keynote speech. See Old City Hall where Douglass served as a U.S. Marshal, and where the terms for emancipation in the District were negotiated. The building now serves as the District Court of Appeals. Dine in the lively Penn Quarter.


Stroll “The Yard” at Howard University where Frederick Douglass was a board member. Douglass Hall was dedicated to him. Grab a smothered Southern bite a few blocks nearby at the Florida Avenue Grill. It’s served savory classics since 1944. Be sure to stop by the African American Civil War Memorial, located amid the sights and sounds of historic U Street. Frederick Douglass and his descendants once owned the imposing houses located between 2000-2008 17th Street, NW. See the Freedman's Bank where Douglass served as president after the Civil War. This is now an annex of the U.S. Treasury that sits across the street, an ideal stop before cocktails at POV atop the W Hotel.


Start at the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, headquarters of the National Woman's Party. Douglass was so strong an advocate of women's suffrage that Victoria Woodhull chose him as her presidential running mate in 1872. Continue to the Library of Congress. It houses Frederick Douglass’ papers, including his correspondence to Susan B. Anthony, William Lloyd Garrison, Horace Greeley, and Presidents Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. Conclude with a stop at Lincoln Memorial. The 16th president confided in Douglass, and appointed him to federal posts.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS THREE-DAY ITINERARY Download & Print