Mary Church Terrell House facts for kids
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Mary Church Terrell House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Mary Church Terrell House, July 2012, awaiting restoration
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 Location in Washington, D.C.
Location in the United States
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| Location | 326 T St., NW, Washington, D.C. |
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| Built | 1899 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Part of | LeDroit Park Historic District (ID74002165) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75002055 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 15, 1975 |
| Designated NHL | May 15, 1975 |
| Designated CP | February 25, 1974 |
The Mary Church Terrell House is a special historic home in Washington, D.C.. It was once the home of Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954). She was a very important leader in the fight for civil rights. Mary Church Terrell was the first African American woman to serve on a school board in the United States. She also helped to end segregation in public places in Washington, D.C. This means she worked to make sure people of all races could use the same restaurants and other public spaces. Her home was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1975. It is also part of the LeDroit Park Historic District.
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What the House Looks Like
The Mary Church Terrell House is in the LeDroit Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is located near Howard University. The house is made of brick and has two and a half stories. It also has a basement that is almost as tall as a full story.
The front of the house has a unique design. It features a window area that sticks out, shaped like a polygon, on the basement and first floor. Above that, on the second floor, is a large arched window. There's a smaller window in the half-gable roof section. At the very top, you can see half of a round window surrounded by decorative Victorian shingles. The main entrance is on the left side, through a porch. The right side of the house is a plain brick wall.
Mary Church Terrell's Amazing Life
Mary Church Terrell was born in Tennessee. She went to college at Oberlin College. In 1887, she became a school teacher in Washington, D.C. She married Robert Terrell, a well-known African American lawyer, in 1891. After getting married, she stopped teaching. However, she continued to work hard to improve schools in the district.
In 1895, Mary Church Terrell was chosen to be on the district's school board. This made her the first African American woman in the country to serve on such a board! She worked for two terms, always trying to make the schools better. She also helped start the National Association of Colored Women and was its first president. She strongly supported women's right to vote. In the 1950s, she fought against laws that kept public places segregated. She was part of important actions that led to a successful court decision, District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co., which helped end segregation.
Saving and Restoring the House
For many years, no one lived in the Mary Church Terrell House. Because of this, the building started to fall apart. In the summer of 2008, work began to restore it. A big grant from the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures program helped pay for this.
Other groups also helped with the restoration. These included Howard University, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the D.C. Office of Planning, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Workers fixed the brick walls and repaired major problems with the porches and windows. The roof was also fixed. By the summer of 2009, the outside work seemed to be finished.
Visiting the House
The Mary Church Terrell House is a private home. It is not open to the public for tours.
