HISTORIC HOME - Cedar Hill was the home of Frederick Douglass, a runaway slave who became a civil rights advocate, from 1877 to 1895. The National Historic Site reopened in February after a three-year makeover. CNS Photo courtesy of National Park Service. Built high atop a hill in Anacostia in southeast District of Columbia, overlooking the Washington Monument and the Capitol, the newly renovated Cedar Hill, the home of Frederick Douglass, matches the man in stature, eloquence and grandeur. After a three-year makeover - which restored the historic interior and exterior colors and the design to better reflect the home at the time of Douglass' death - Cedar Hill reopened early this year. Douglass, whom many consider the most eminent and respected African-American of the 19th century, was a runaway slave in 1838 at the age of 20. By the time he was 60, when he moved with his wife, Anna, into the 1850s brick house that he called Cedar Hill, the former slave had distinguished himself as a renowned orator, fiery abolitionist, influential journalist and publisher, ambassador to Haiti and outspoken advocate of voting rights for women. In his spare time, he served as adviser to five presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes and Benjamin Harrison. The purchase of Cedar Hill by Douglass carries a sense of irony, yet at the same time serves as a parable for his life's work. Douglass once again triumphed over the obstacle of race - and did so by perpetual agitation, a concept he'd adopted as a mantra. READING ROOM - Douglass' favorite room, the library, is stocked with 800 books. CNS Photo courtesy of National Park Service. When John Van Hook, the original owner, was forced to sell the property due to bankruptcy, he established a covenant that stipulated that it not be sold to anyone of color, including immigrants, the Irish and Catholics. He didn't expect that the financial institution that handled the sale would have Frederick Douglass as its president. Still, the restrictions remained in effect for three years, while Douglass used his influence in Congress and elsewhere to maneuver around the covenant's intention in order to buy the home for himself. The 1877 purchase continued to be controversial because Douglass himself was fostering dissension in the community. Within 18 months after his beloved Anna died, Douglass married his secretary, Helen. That was bad enough. Throw in that she was 20 years younger - and white - and it's clear why living at Cedar Hill, and the 15 acres on which it sat at the time, was not without its challenges. Nonetheless, Douglass happily resided there for the last 17 years of his life, and it was Helen who fought vigorously to preserve Cedar Hill as his memorial. Because of her early efforts, 70 percent of the remaining furnishings and artifacts are original, very unusual in most renovated historic settings. Because of this, you look that much closer at the picture of Abraham Lincoln in the west parlor room, knowing the close relationship between Douglass and the Great Emancipator himself. The portrait of Elizabeth Cady Stanton - a present, according to our guide, that she gave Douglass in honor of the many years they spent together fighting for women's right to vote - also deserves a closer look. Despite its grand size - Douglass added seven rooms to the original 14 - I felt comfortable immediately upon entering, as if I could move right in and be at home. I could visualize Douglass sitting at the small table in the family room where an unfinished game of checkers remains, the chair slightly askew as if he had just walked away for a moment. Adding to the sense of his presence, it's rumored that Douglass himself made the wood-carved board and its pieces. Nearby, the library, Douglass' favorite room, appears eminently readable. Stocked with more than 800 books, it's clear how big a part books played in his life. Since his early years as a slave, when he secretly taught himself to read and write, he recognized that literacy "was the pathway from slavery to freedom." DOUGLASS SLEPT HERE - About 70 percent of the remaining furnishings at Cedar Hill are original. Shown is the master bedroom upstairs. CNS Photo courtesy of National Park Service. Among the many walking canes that Douglass collected, two especially are of great personal significance. One, displayed in the library, was handcrafted by a former slave and friend, with different events of Douglass' life engraved into the wood. The other, in the visitor's center, is an ivory-handled walking stick given him by Mary Todd Lincoln after her husband's death. History buff that I am, the idea that both Lincoln and Douglass might have leaned upon that cane as each traveled his own rocky path into history brought me a chill. Other rooms promise interesting tidbits of their own. The kitchen pantry sports a 25-pound icebox, the laundry room an original washtub and scrub board, and the kitchen an 1896 coal-burning stove and other housekeeping necessities of the time - none of which required electricity, of course. There was none - or bathrooms for that matter. Upstairs, in the master bedroom (so called because, unlike today, only the "master" slept there), try to picture the 6-foot-2-inch-tall Douglass in a bed only slightly larger than 5 feet. This required sleeping somewhat upright, akin to what a reading-in-bed position is now. Next to the bed stands the de rigueur chamber pot. Despite its function, I was very impressed with its elegant, intricate design ringed with gold trim. A bed pillow, embroidered by Helen, reads, "Two is Company, Three's a Crowd." The tour guide claimed its meaning remains a mystery. Still, I entertained some fun fantasies. Subtle reference to a mistress, perhaps? Or to memories of her husband's first wife, Anna, whom Helen may have felt still shared their bed? Or just commentary on dinner party preferences? Asked by Lincoln to recruit black soldiers for the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, Douglass did - including two of his sons. It was that regiment, and its last battle in which 80 percent of the soldiers died, that formed the basis for the award-winning film "Glory." The only reason Douglass didn't lose both sons was because his younger boy was sick that day and unable to join the battle. Indeed, the long and full life of Frederick Douglass is itself a glorious story - and his home on Cedar Hill reflects that in all its glory. IF YOU GO For information, contact Cedar Hill, 1411 W. St., SE, Washington, DC 20020; 202-426-5961; www.nps.gov. Cedar Hill offers a free interpretive tour and is open daily, except New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., April through October. From October through April, it's open until 4 p.m. Fyllis Hockman is a freelance travel writer. © Copley News Service

Rate This Article 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Select    Current rating: 10   |   View top rated articles

Printable Version    PDF Version    Email to a Friend    Post A Comment    View Comment    Discuss

	Popular Tags
	Rutherford B. Hayes  Washington Monument  Ulysses S. Grant  southeast  hills  Abraham Lincoln  New Year's Day  catholic  capitol  African-Americans

Featured Testimonials

I experienced organized work and facilities on LawCrossing. Everything is at the right place and sequentially managed. Abby

Facts

LawCrossing Fact #183: Our “Daily Job Market News” allows you to be informed about key issues.

"We want to hear your thoughts. Please comment on this article (below)!" Comments

Article ID: 3577     Article Title: Cedar Hill: Frederick Douglass' home is as imposing as the man who lived there Comment not found for this article. Comment

Facebook comments:

Enjoyed reading this article? Click here to sign up for News Wire, our weekly newsletter, and you'll receive articles just like this right in your inbox.

Enter your email address and start getting breaking law firm and legal news right now! Every Alert Alert once a day