Because he was writing his autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass and was often lecturing, Helen aided him frequently in his work.

[2] The marriage was generally the subject of scorn by both white and black residents in the town, though the Douglasses were firm in their convictions.

Douglass's will left Cedar Hill to Helen, but it lacked the number of witnesses needed in bequests of real estate and was ruled invalid.

Helen suggested to his children and their spouses that they agree to set Cedar Hill apart as a memorial to their father and deed it to a board of trustees.

With borrowed money, Helen bought the property, and then devoted the rest of her life to planning and establishing the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association.

He suggested that if the mortgage on Cedar Hill should not be paid off in her lifetime, money from the sale of the property should go to two college scholarships in her and Frederick's names.

After her death, the $5,500 mortgage was reduced to $4,000, and the National Association of Colored Women, led by Mary B. Talbert of Buffalo, New York, raised funds to buy Cedar Hill.

Now administered by the National Park Service, the home is open for tours to inform visitors of Douglass's contributions to freedom.