Carter G. Woodson Home

This rowhouse in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. was the home and base of operations for Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History.”

Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia on December 19, 1875, to parents who had been enslaved. When he was a child, his family moved to Huntington, West Virginia where he worked in the New River Gorge coalfields to help make money to support the family.

Woodson embarked on an educational journey at the age of 20, and 17 years later in 1912, he became only the second Black American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard and the only person of enslaved parentage to achieve the honor.

He carved out a niche as the first trained historian of African American history and went on to establish his own publishing company and lay the groundwork for the celebration of Black History Month.

In addition to his work as a publisher, author, journalist, and educator, he also served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Woodson died of a heart attack in his home office on April 3, 1950. He left behind an enduring legacy, including the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the Journal of African American History, and countless scholars; who have furthered his efforts to build the institutional structure to foster the continued growth of Black American studies and history.