The 1890s Home Where a Coal Miner’s Son Launched Black History Month in Washington, DC

The Carter G. Woodson Home

Carter Woodson knew what it meant to work for every opportunity. Born in 1875 to parents who had been enslaved, he mined coal to afford school and didn’t graduate high school until 22.

But this self-taught scholar earned a Harvard PhD and in 1926 started Negro History Week from his Washington DC home.

Here’s how his three-story rowhouse became the birthplace of Black History Month, and where to find it near Carter G. Woodson Memorial Park.

From Coal Miner to Harvard Scholar

Woodson worked in West Virginia coal mines as a teenager to help his family. During breaks, he read to fellow miners, many of whom were former slaves and Civil War veterans who couldn’t read.

At 20, Woodson used the money he saved from mining to start formal education. He finished high school in less than two years. His determined efforts eventually led him to become only the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University.

Founding the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History

In 1915, Woodson attended a Chicago exhibition celebrating 50 years since the end of slavery. Inspired by the displays of Black achievement, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.
Woodson moved the organization’s headquarters to his Washington DC home in 1922. From there, he led efforts to document Black history while mainstream historians ignored African American contributions.
His organization tackled what Woodson called “neglected aspects of Negro life and history,” building a research foundation during a time of segregation and discrimination.

Launching the Journal of Negro History

In 1916, Woodson created the Journal of Negro History. The publication gave a voice to Black scholars whose work was rejected by mainstream academic journals. It created a permanent record of African American historical research and achievements.
The journal never missed an issue under Woodson’s leadership, including during the Great Depression and the two World Wars.

It continues to this day as the Journal of African American History, representing over 100 years of scholarship on Black history and culture in America.

Creating Negro History Week in 1926

In February 1926, Woodson launched the first Negro History Week. He picked February because it contained the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14).

During the week, Woodson mailed teaching materials to schools and community groups across America. The resources helped teachers share Black history with students who rarely found it in textbooks.

He didn’t want it to be seen as a one-time event. Woodson saw it as a spark that encourages people to study Black contributions to American society throughout the year.

The Book Man of Washington DC

Neighbors often saw Woodson walking down 9th Street carrying tall stacks of books, earning him the nickname “Book Man.” Sure enough, he had thousands of volumes on African and African American history in his home.

Every day at 12:15 p.m., Woodson held staff meetings in his kitchen to plan publications and coordinate research.

His life centered entirely on historical work. When friends invited him to dinner, he often declined, saying simply: “I am married to my work.”

Founding Associated Publishers

In 1920, Woodson created Associated Publishers while mainstream companies still refused to print books about Black Americans. He ran the publishing company from his home, controlling every aspect of production.

His company produced scholarly books and classroom textbooks like “Negro Makers of History”. These books gave teachers the resources to teach accurate Black history for the first time.

Writing The Mis-Education of the Negro

Woodson wrote his most famous book, “The Mis-Education of the Negro,” in 1933. It explained how American schools harmed Black students by teaching them to value White achievements while ignoring their own heritage.

In the book, Woodson connected historical knowledge to personal freedom. He wrote, “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions.”.

Woodson’s Home

Woodson’s house at 1538 9th Street became a center for Black intellectual life in Washington DC. From there, Woodson coordinated a nationwide movement to document Black history.

Scholars, teachers, and activists gathered at the house to discuss research and plan publications. The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History operated from this address until 1970, twenty years after Woodson’s death.

The house is located in Shaw neighborhood alongside other important sites for African American culture.

From Week to Month

Woodson had always wanted Black history to be taught year-round. He saw the week as just a beginning, not the end goal of his educational mission.

By the 1940s, his vision started to take root. Some schools and churches added more programs than could fit in a week. This extended Negro History Week into month-long celebrations.

In 1976, during America’s Bicentennial, Woodson’s Association officially expanded the celebration to Black History Month. That same year, President Gerald Ford gave the first presidential recognition to this observance.

Woodson’s Legacy

Woodson died on April 3, 1950. In his lifetime, he published more than 20 books on Black history, including “A Century of Negro Migration” (1918) and “The History of the Negro Church” (1921).

His textbook “The Negro in Our History” sold over 90,000 copies and reached classrooms nationwide. Universities established programs to continue his work, such as the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia.

Woodson’s work also laid the foundation for Black Studies programs that later spread to colleges across America.

Visiting Carter G. Woodson’s Home

The Carter G. Woodson Home is located at 1538 9th Street NW in Washington DC’s historic Shaw neighborhood. As of 2025, the site is temporarily closed for renovation but expected to reopen soon.

When open, the home offers free ranger-led tours lasting about 45 minutes.

Near the home, you’ll find the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Park, which has a statue that honors Woodson as the “Father of Black History Month.”

Read More from WhenInYourState.com:

• This Memorial Was Called ‘A Black Gash of Shame’ Then Became America’s Most Visited Tribute
• Hiding Under Pioneer Square in Seattle is a Ghost Town from the 1880s with Sidewalks, Shops, and Saloons
• This WWII Memorial Took So Long to Build, Most of the Greatest Generation Never Lived to See It