Carter G. Woodson Home

Located in the Shaw neighborhood of northwest Washington, DC, the Carter G. Woodson National Historic Site comprises three c. 1870s rowhouses, one of which was the home of African American scholar and activist Carter Woodson from 1915 until his death in 1950. Remembered for facilitating scholarly as well as more broadly-based public discourse on Black history and culture, Woodson is best known for his founding of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and its Journal of African American History. He was also responsible for the establishment of “Negro History Week,” which later became known as Black History Month. These efforts were principally organized from his home and office on 9th Street.

In association with ASALH, the National Park Service (NPS) is renovating and restoring Woodson’s home and office and the two adjacent structures as a museum dedicated to interpreting his life and work from the period of 1922 through 1950 and assessing his ongoing influence. Work began with the restoration of Woodson’s home and stabilization of the two rowhouses in 2016. Mills + Schnoering Architects (M+Sa) continued the project with the development of schematic design documents for adapting the two adjoining houses into exhibit space and offices for ASALH and NPS. The proposed work includes full accessibility for all floors of the complex with a new elevator; and the design of visitor facilities including classrooms, a reception/gift shop area, and three floors of interpretive exhibits on Woodson’s life and times supported by efficient environmental and lighting systems.