Blanche K. Bruce House
Historic house in Washington, D.C. Built 1865. Added to the National Register in 1975, and a National Historic Landmark.
.jpg/960px-Blanche_K._Bruce_House%2C_909_M_Street_Northwest_(Washington%2C_District_of_Columbia).jpg)
What it is
The Blanche K. Bruce House is a historic house at 909 M Street NW in Washington, D.C. Built in 1865, it was a home of slave-born Blanche K. Bruce, who was the first African-American to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate, and his wife Josephine. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975. It was successfully nominated to the National Register of Historic Places by the Afro-American Bicentennial Corporation on May 15, 1975.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Register name | Bruce, Blanche K., House |
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 909 M St., NW, Washington, DC |
| County | District of Columbia |
| Listed | May 15, 1975 |
| Listed for | Black heritage, Politics and government, Social history |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 75002046 |
| Built | 1865 · more from the 1860s |
| Type of place | house |
| Style | Second Empire style |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark, District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 909 M St., NW, Washington, DC |
| Coordinates | 38.9058° N, 77.0244° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Washington | 675 listed places in Washington → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site · under a mile · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Fort Dupont Park Picnic Areas 4 miles · Rock Creek Park Group Picnic Areas (Dc) 4 miles · Greenbelt Park Ranger Station 8 miles |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 8 records ↗
Map
Nearby in District of Columbia
Local history books for Washington
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Guidebooks to historic places in Washington, D.C.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Blanche K. Bruce House listed on the National Register?
May 15, 1975. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Blanche K. Bruce House built?
1865, in the Second Empire style style.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Blanche K. Bruce House?
909 M St., NW, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia. The nearest national park unit is Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, under a mile away.
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Blanche K. Bruce House?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for Blanche K. Bruce House?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Blanche K. Bruce House?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Fort Dupont Park Picnic Areas, 4 miles away. Rock Creek Park Group Picnic Areas (Dc) is 4 miles away, and Greenbelt Park Ranger Station is 8 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Blanche K. Bruce House?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 75002046. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.