Many of Douglass’ possessions were lost in a devastating fire

Early in June 1877, Douglass' third Rochester house on South Avenue caught fire and was thought to have been the result of arson while he was in Washington, DC. Many of Douglass’ possessions were lost in a devastating fire, and the home suffered extensive damage, particularly to the ground and the furniture.

He then purchased Cedar Hill, the property that would become his last residence and the name of the national park site, and he chose to stay in the nation's capital rather than go back to New York.

The 1877 fire destroyed hundreds of Douglass' letters as well as the only known entire collection of Douglass' newspapers. Additionally, no existing photos of the Rochester residence exist. 16 episodes of the North Star and Frederick Douglass' Paper were also misplaced.

However, the Park Service continues to conserve the remaining items, from his collection of walking canes to the violin he taught his grandson to play. All of the books, furniture, and photos that firemen recovered from the fire were transferred to Cedar Hill. At the location of Douglass' former residence, the city of Rochester constructed a public library in 1927, which was formally called the Frederick Douglass Community Library in 2016.