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Helen Pitts Douglass died in 1903, aged 65 years old. She wished to be buried on the site of Cedar Hill but laws at this time prevented it. She had no funeral or memorial service and was quietly buried next to Frederick Douglass in Rochester.
Frederick Douglass and Helen Pitts Douglass remained married until his death in 1895. After his will was contested by his children, Helen secured loans in order to buy Cedar Hill and preserve it as a memorial to her late husband.
Jan 31, 2019 · Died: 1903 in Washington, D.C. Known For: A White woman who married the mixed-race North American 19th-century Black activist leader Frederick Douglass, Helen Pitts Douglass was an advocate in her own right and pushed for ending of the system of enslavement, suffrage, and her husband's legacy. Spouse: Frederick Douglass (m. 1884-1895)
- Jone Johnson Lewis
Mar 15, 2023 · Despite achieving her goal of saving Douglass’ papers, his possessions and his home in Washington, DC, for future generations, Helen Pitts Douglass died in relative obscurity, her life and accomplishments relegated over the years to little more than an historical footnote.
Helen Pitts Douglass passed away December 1, 1903 – eight years after her famous husband. When she passed, a significant amount of the mortgage remained. In her will, Mrs. Douglass left the home, 14.45 acres, and all the contents (except clothing and jewelry) to the FDMHA.
Mar 11, 2013 · So when the future of their home, Cedar Hill, was left uncertain after Frederick Douglass’ sudden death in 1895, Helen took a stand to save it. When she asked Douglass’ children to set aside the grand home as a memorial to their father, rather than selling it and dividing up the money, they refused.
Helen Pitts Douglass died in 1903 at the age of 65. She wanted to be buried on the grounds of Cedar Hill, but Washington laws prevented burials on home grounds.
