Mary Ann Shadd Cary House

The Mary Ann Shadd Cary House is a three-story brick residence decorated with Renaissance Revival details, including ornamental window hoods and carved cornices. Located in the Greater U Street Historic District, the building sits among residential properties between 14th Street and Florida Avenue near Columbia Heights.

The house is linked to Mary Ann Shadd Cary, the first African American woman journalist in North America, who lived there from 1881 to 1885. She later became a lawyer and shaped the history of resistance and advancement for her community.

The residence reflects the life of a woman who broke barriers as both a journalist and lawyer in her time. Walking through the neighborhood, you notice how this home represents African American progress during a transformative era.

The house is located in an established neighborhood with other historic buildings and can be explored on foot. Visitors should know that this is primarily a residential area, so it is best to walk slowly and respectfully to appreciate the architecture and surroundings.

The house served as a hub for Black professionals and thinkers in the area for much of a century. It represents a quiet but meaningful place in city history that many visitors overlook, even though it holds stories about Washington's development and progress.