Mary McLeod Bethune, Museum

Title

Mary McLeod Bethune, Museum

Creator

Roose, William

Contributor

Bysterbusch, Hailey

Biographical Text

The townhouse was built between 1873 and 1874 by William Roose.
Roose sold the building to John J. and Mary McElhone in 1875. Later it was sold to Frank G. and Joanna Carter, who lived at the residence for twenty years before selling it to Alphonso and Anna Gravalles. The Gravalles lived there for thirty one years and operated a ladies tailoring shop out of the residence before selling it to Bethune in 1953 for $15,500. Bethune established the residence as “The Council House” and it served as the headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women until a fire in 1966.
After the fire, the house was dormant until 1975, when it was placed on the Washington D.C. Register of Historic Sites and funds were raised to fix smoke and water damage. In 1979, the building was opened to the public as the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial Museum and National Archives for Black Women’s History. In 1982, the museum was declared a National Historic Site. In 1985, the museum was acquired by the National Parks Service and renamed the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site. Today, the museum is open to the public and tours are offered throughout the week.

Text

[Above the Door]
1318
The National Council
of
Negro Women

[Plaque to the left of the door is illegible]

Date Created

1874

Date Modified

1966

1979

Type

English Museum

Bibliographic Citation

The Council House, National Park Service