Mary McLeod Bethune achieved her greatest recognition at the Washington, DC townhouse that is now this National Historic Site. The Council House was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was Bethune’s last home ...
This house was the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and was Bethune's last home in Washington, DC. From here, Bethune and the NCNW spearheaded strategies and developed programs that advanced the interests of African American women. Inscriptions BETHUNE MUSEUM ARCHIVES Mary McLeod Bethune "Council House" National Historic Site Designated October 15, 1982 By Act of Congress Born on July 10, 1875, in Mayesville, South Carolina, Mary McLeod Bethune
(205 words) The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS is located in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Northwest, Washington, DC. Traveling south on Vermont Avenue from Logan Circle, travel about four hundred fifteen feet and the location will be on your right. The site is a three-story red brick Victorian row house with off-white trim. A two-foot-tall iron gate lines the front of the property and three steps lead up to a checkerboard walk of about eight feet. On the left is a black iron post from which a one by two-foot brown sign reads in white lettering: Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site. Left of the walkway is a fifteen-foot square lawn with a black urn-shaped planter with flowers. A five-step gray wooden staircase with rounded railings at the bottom runs up to a double-sided glass front door. To the left are three windows of a first-floor alcove. Three windows line the front second floor, and three gabled windows sit atop the third floor. The neighbor's ten-foot tall bush hangs slightly over the front steps on the right side. Along the left side of the red brick façade from the front door are two bronze plaques describing some of Bethune's significant contributions to American history. END OF DESCRIPTION
Come to the site to obtain a Junior Ranger book and complete it. When you complete it, you can mail or email it and a Park Ranger will sign your certificate and mail your official Junior Ranger badge
Places of Interest Related to Mary McLeod Bethune
Explore nearby historical sites and parks in the Washington, D.C. area related to the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS
Explore the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House
Learn about the life and legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune as well as the work of the organization she established, the National Council of Negro Women, and how she used the power of education, political activism, and civil service to achieve racial and gender equality throughout the United States and the world.
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS Bookstore
Visitors can purchase educational products and books related to Mary McLeod Bethune, the National Council of Negro Women, the Civil Rights Movement, and Women's History.
