Barney Circle in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Anna Murray-Douglass
For Anna & Frederick Douglass, their work, home, & life centered on abolition, & fair treatment & respect for African Americans.
Anna met Frederick, an enslaved 17-year-old in 1838. They fell in love; she encouraged, & financed his flight north where they reunited & married, on plan. From 1847-72, Anna ran their Rochester Underground Railroad home, raised 5 children, making money as a cook & shoe binder. Their Rochester home was burned down in 1872.
Anna, a free, Underground RR stationmaster, gave freedom seekers food & clothing, often while Frederick was away. He was a strategist, speaker, organizer, publisher, & "agitator"---in Women's US Colored Troops', & civil rights. Without Anna, he may not have been any of this.
They later moved to Washington, DC, buying the "Cedar Hill" home; only 2 miles from this spot.
In 1882, Anna's second stroke was fatal. In 1895, Frederick died from probably stroke. Only 11 months before his photographer, Mathew Brady. In 1882, Frederick said: "Mother was the post in the center of my house, & held us together"
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Civil Rights • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1838.
Location. 38° 52.901′
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mathew Brady (here, next to this marker); The Mathew Brady Memorial (here, next to this marker); John Philip Sousa (within shouting distance of this marker); Commemorating The American Revolutionary Service of General Peterson Goodwyn (within shouting distance of this marker); September 11 Memorial Path (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee Dittman Shapiro 1949-1987 / James T. Lindelof 1957-1987 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Public Vault (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Gadsby Vault (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Southeast Washington.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 182 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 4, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
