Look for a two-and-a-half-story Queen Anne-style house with blue wood siding, a prominent bay window above the wide front porch, and a pointed roof just behind the trees right in front of you.
You’ve made it to the Slowe-Burrill House-this blue delight with its big porch and that jigsaw puzzle of shingles up top isn’t just a pretty face. Picture yourself here a hundred years ago: the gentle sound of laughter floating out from the backyard, the clinking of tea cups, the fresh scent of grass and summer air swirling together as brilliant minds gather under the sun. In 1922, Lucy Slowe and Mary Burrill-trailblazing African American educators and courageous partners-moved in, turning this house into a quiet symbol of love and defiance. This was no ordinary home; it became the hub for intellectual gatherings, with the rear yard serving as the lively stage for picnics, debates, and celebrations among African-American women thinkers.
There’s a dash of suspense, too! When Howard University tried to force Lucy Slowe to live on campus, she stood her ground, rallying support from friends, colleagues, and even the famous Mary McLeod Bethune. Slowe and Burrill refused to budge, filling their home with warmth, friendship, and, dare I say, the best garden parties in Brookland. Even the university’s top brass couldn’t oust her; Lucy’s determination echoed through these wooden halls until she passed here in 1937, with Mary mourning her loss and saying goodbye to their shared dream house soon after.
In 2024, after more than a century of stories, the Slowe-Burrill House finally received its fitting crown as a National Historic Landmark. This place celebrates unsung courage-African American, women’s, and LGBT history all rolled together, wrapped up in the shade of that big bay window. It’s a place where love and learning took center stage, even when the world tried to dim the spotlight. If you listen carefully, you might feel some of their steadfast spirit soaking into the front porch boards beneath your feet. Congratulations-your tour ends at a home where history dared to live out loud.
