Frederick Douglass' historic home in Anacostia is again welcoming visitors for guided tours after shutting its doors for three years during the pandemic and renovations.
Available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, people can reserve a visit to the National Historic Site by using the National Park Service's website. Guided tours are the only way to visit Cedar Hill, Douglass' home from 1878 until his death in 1895.
"It is critically important that we teach young people about the history," Sylvia Quinton, a member of the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historic Association, said.
During the reopening ceremony, actor Darrius Wallace, dressed as Douglass, read an excerpt of the abolitionist and author's famous address, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" The 171-year-old speech called out the hypocrisy of celebrating independence while African Americans remained enslaved.
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"I think that — more so now than maybe ten years ago — the way the climate is now, it really hits home, it hits a nerve today," Wallace said.
The highlight of the renovation, the National Park Service said, is a new HVAC system that will allow the site's conservationists to control humidity and prevent mold that could damage the historic site.
But throughout much of the home, Douglass' rooms are virtually untouched, giving visitors a view of the past.
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