Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument

The Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, a National Monument of the United States, commemorates the life of Charles Young (1864-1922), an escaped slave who rose to become a Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army and its first African-American colonel. It is located on United States Route 42 in Wilberforce, Ohio, in a house purchased by Young in 1907 that was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974. The monument is administered by the National Park Service; the house is open by appointment for tours.

Col. Charles Young House
Front and side of the house
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument is located in Ohio
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument is located in the United States
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
LocationColumbus Pike between Clifton and Stevenson Rds., Wilberforce, Ohio
Coordinates39.707252°N 83.890227°W / 39.707252; -83.890227
Area59.65 acres (24.14 ha)[1]
Built1839 (1839)
WebsiteCharles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
NRHP reference No.74001506
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 30, 1974[2]
Designated NHLMay 30, 1974[3]

Description and history

The Charles Young House is located in a rural setting southwest of Wilberforce, on the north side of US 42 between Clifton and Stevenson Roads. The house is an eclectically styled 2+1⁄2-story brick building, with a gabled roof that has deeply overhanging eaves. A T-shaped porch extends across the middle three bays of the five-bay front facade, supported by square posts. A series of ells extend to the rear, giving the building a T shape.[4]

Charles Young was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1864. He was the third African American graduate of West Point, the first black U.S. national park superintendent, the first African American military attaché, and the highest ranking black officer in the United States Army until his death in 1922. He also taught military science at Wilberforce University, during which time he purchased this house, which he called "Youngsholm."[5][6] The house was built in 1832, and is reported to have served as a way station on the Underground Railroad.[7]

On March 25, 2013, under the Antiquities Act, President Barack Obama designated the house as the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, a unit of the National Park Service.[1][8] The house museum has exhibits about Young and the Buffalo Soldiers. A 15-month renovation began in October 2021 to restore the home to its state when Young lived there.[9]

See also

References
  1. Obama, Barack (March 25, 2013). "Presidential Proclamation -- Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument". The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  3. "Colonel Charles Young House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
  4. "NHL nomination for Colonel Charles Young House". National Park Service. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  5. Shellum, Brian (2010). Black Officer in a Buffalo Soldier Regiment: The Military Career of Charles Young. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. p. 61. ISBN 9780803230224.
  6. Executive Office of the President (March 25, 2013). Federal Register Vol. 78 No. 60, Establishment of the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. Washington, DC: Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration. p. 18778.
  7. "Places - Youngsholm". National Park Service. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  8. "Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument celebrated". Dayton Daily News. April 2, 2013. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014.
  9. "Park announces relocation of Interpretive and Educational services". www.nps.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
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