Tours of Frederick Douglass' house will be offered this weekend during a celebration of his birthday/NPS

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site and community partners are hosting free programs Feb. 12-13 to celebrate the 198th birthday of Douglass and honor his legacy in the historic Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Visiting Cedar Hill, Visiting National Parks,” which will explore the stories of people who visited Douglass at his home at Cedar Hill and what it was like to travel in the Victorian Era. Programs will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at stories and objects from Douglass’ life that are not included in standard house tours. Tours will focus on Douglass’ travels, how the Douglasses entertained at Cedar Hill, and rooms where guests stayed when they visited from places outside of Washington, D.C. Programs will also highlight traveling to national parks and will look at how the National Park Service helps preserve and tell stories about African American history around the United States.

All programs are free and are open to the public. Anacostia is accessible via the Metro’s Green Line. The park will operate a free shuttle between program locations from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Friday, Feb. 12

Behind the Scenes at the Anacostia Museum Archives with Archivist Jennifer Morris
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE

Slide Into the National Parks
Time: 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE
Description: Local community members present short slideshows on national parks to celebrate the National Park Service’s centennial.

Kick-Off House Party
Time: 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE
Description: Frederick Douglass entertained many of his visitors at Cedar Hill by playing music for them. To celebrate his love of music, there will be a “house party” after the slideshow. All ages are welcome to follow the blue lights to this party.

Saturday, Feb. 13
Opening Ceremony
Time: 10:15-11:30 a.m.
Location: Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE
Description: Dr. John Stauffer, professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, will present the keynote address. The program will feature music from the Washington Revels’ Jubilee Voices and Douglass speech recitals by the winners of the 2015 Oratorical Contest.

Historic House Tours
Time: Noon-4 p.m.
Location: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street SE
Description: Tours will highlight Frederick Douglass’s travels and stories about the people who visited him at Cedar Hill.

Children’s Story Program
Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE

Book Signing - Dr. John Stauffer
Time: 1 p.m. - 1:45 pm
Location: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street SE
Description: Dr. John Stauffer from Harvard University will sign copies of his new book Picturing Frederick Douglass: An Illustrated Biography of the Nineteenth Century's Most Photographed American.

"How the National Parks Made Me a Better Citizen" by Audrey Peterman
Time: 1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE
Description: Stephen Mather, the National Park Service’s first director, once said, "He or she is a better citizen, with a keener appreciation of the benefits of living here, who has traveled our national parks." This centennial year program will explore how standing in the places where our ancestors made history breeds appreciation for the privilege and responsibility of being an American.

"The New Harriet Tubman National Historic Site" by Superintendent Robert Parker
Time: 2 p.m.-2:45 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE

"Frederick Douglass’s Washington," Walking Tour by John Muller
Time: 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Location: Begins at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street SE
Description: Local historian and author John Muller will lead a walking tour of historic Anacostia. This program is first-come, first-served and is limited to the first 24 people to register. Registration is same-day at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site’s visitor center. Please note this is a neighborhood tour; it does not enter the historic house.

Book Signing - Audrey Peterman
Time: 3 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Location: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street SE
Description: Author Audrey Peterman will give a short talk and sign copies of her book Our True Nature: Finding a Zest for Life in the National Park System.

“Reporting From Cedar Hill: Douglass Invites the Press Into His Home” by Ranger Nate Johnson
Time: 3 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE
Description: Many accounts of Douglass at Cedar Hill are from reporters who visited him in his home. They published interviews with Douglass alongside detailed stories of what they had seen at Cedar Hill. This program will explore the reporters and their stories, as well as accounts from other visitors to Douglass's home.

Book Signing - John Muller
Time: 3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Location: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street SE
Description: Local historian and author John Muller will give a short talk and sign copies of his book Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C.: The Lion of Anacostia.

“Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories” by Ranger Margaret Miles
Time: 3 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
Location: Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE
Description: Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week in February to coincide with Douglass’s birthday. He tirelessly worked to tell the history and stories of African Americans since their stories were often left out of American history narratives. The National Park Service is restoring Woodson’s home and continues to honor Woodson's legacy by preserving sites of African American memory around the U.S. This program highlights Woodson and African American sites in the National Park system.

“Wet Britches and Muddy Boots: A History of Travel in Victorian America” by John H. White, Jr.
Time: 3:30 p.m. - 4:15 pm
Location: Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE
Description: Douglass was a world traveler who visited many sites in the United States and abroad. This program explores what travel was like in the late 1800s.

Book Signing - John H. White Jr.
Time: 4:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W Street SE
Description: Historian and author John H. White Jr. will sign copies of his book Wet Britches and Muddy Boots: A History of Travel in Victorian America.