Lecture - African-American Life and Labor in the White House Neighborhood
Sponsoring Organization
Phone: 202-842-0920
Location
Phone: 202.737.8292 x 200
In 2010, the White House Historical Association assumed management of the historic Decatur House on Lafayette Square. Plans call for the property to be reestablished as the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History at Decatur House. Renovations of the property are ongoing, with a proposed opening in 2013. The new Center will encompass not only programs and research on the history of the President’s House, but extend its reach to historic Lafayette Square.
The property at H Street and Jackson Place includes a two-story structure that was built as a work and living space for enslaved African Americans. Over the course of the building’s life, it also housed free African American and white servants that supported the various owners of the house until the 1950s. The association is conducting new research, and is interested in promoting work by scholars outside the organization, on themes that enhance understanding of the community in the President’s neighborhood.
Contact Information
Phone: 202-842-0920
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Testimonials
This tour delivers the goods. Being raised just outside of washington d.c. (Bethesda), I've gone on innumerable DC sightseeing tours in my lifetime. Every time a family friend or relative visited from out of town meant another trip down to the Mall, another sightseeing tour. Monument tours, ghost tours, "Duck" tours, you name it I've done it. But out of all the DC tours I've been on this was one of the best. I went last weekend with my nieces and nephews on the Capitol Hill tour, which lasted a little over two hours. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable of the historic sites and presented the information in a fun and lively manner. His enthusiam for the subject was infectious. He had my nieces and nephews in rapt atttention from start to finish. Highly recommend.