Later that year, Douglass purchased the home and expanded its 14 rooms to 21, including two-story library and kitchen wings.

[1] With the election of President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, Douglass hoped for a political appointment, likely postmaster for Rochester, New York, or ambassador to Haiti.

Typically, the marshal would attend formal White House gatherings and directly introduce guests to the President.

[4] Still, the job brought him financial stability, and in 1877, with a $6,000 (~$158,449 in 2023) loan from his black friend and former abolitionist Robert Purvis, he purchased the 14-room Victorian home on nine acres (3.6 ha) and named it Cedar Hill.

Helen's father, an abolitionist who was previously proud to know Douglass personally, never offered his blessing and refused to visit Washington unless he knew his daughter and her husband were out of town.

"[11] On February 20, 1895, Douglass attended a women's rights rally in Washington and was escorted to the platform by Anna Howard Shaw and Susan B. Anthony.

[13] The restoration was completed in 1922, and is believed to have been the first historic architectural preservation project by a Black architect in the United States.

[14] Also on site are an interpretive visitor center and a reconstruction[15] of Douglass's "Growlery", a small stone building in which he secluded himself while writing and studying.