Frederick Douglass National Historic Site preserves the Cedar Hill home and 8.5 acre estate that once belonged to abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass from 1877 until his death in 1895. Douglass was born into slavery in 1818. He escaped to freedom, and his sensational 1845 autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, became a bestseller and made him a national celebrity.

Douglass believed that all people should be free, so in addition to fighting against slavery, he wanted equal rights for women. He became a trusted advisor to President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, and he recruited African-Americans to fight for the Union cause. After the war, he held various positions in Washington, D.C., including U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia. He was the most well-known African-American in the late 1800’s, and he issued another autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, in 1881.

Douglass’s estate sits above the Anacostia River in southeastern District of Columbia, where it enjoys a panoramic view of the city. The highlight of the Cedar Hill house is Douglass’s study.

The design of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Quarter features an image of Douglass as an elderly man seated at his writing desk. His Cedar Hill home is shown in the background.