W.E.B Dubois boyhood Homesite
Encyclopedia
The W.E.B. Du Bois Boyhood Homesite is located on South Egremont Road (Massachusetts routes 23 and 41), west of the junction with MA 71) in the town of Great Barrington
, Massachusetts, United States. It is the site of the house, no longer extant, where W.E.B. Du Bois
, later a prominent African American
intellectual, lived until the age of 17. His friends later purchased the house for him, and from 1928–1954 he would return to it periodically for the peace it offered him. In 1976, a decade after his death, it was designated a National Historic Landmark
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Owned in Du Bois's youth by Du Bois's grandfather, the house stood until a later owner demolished it in the late 1950s. Today the two parcels of land that formed the five-acre (5 acres (2 ha)) farm have been planted with a thick grove of pine. A small path leads north from the parking area to an informational kiosk about Du Bois and his life. From there another path leads west, into a small depression where a memorial boulder sits, with a commemorative plaque
. Near the southwest corner of the property are the remnants of the original house's stone foundation
.
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
, Massachusetts, United States. It is the site of the house, no longer extant, where W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor. Born in Massachusetts, Du Bois attended Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate...
, later a prominent African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
intellectual, lived until the age of 17. His friends later purchased the house for him, and from 1928–1954 he would return to it periodically for the peace it offered him. In 1976, a decade after his death, it was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Owned in Du Bois's youth by Du Bois's grandfather, the house stood until a later owner demolished it in the late 1950s. Today the two parcels of land that formed the five-acre (5 acres (2 ha)) farm have been planted with a thick grove of pine. A small path leads north from the parking area to an informational kiosk about Du Bois and his life. From there another path leads west, into a small depression where a memorial boulder sits, with a commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
. Near the southwest corner of the property are the remnants of the original house's stone foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Berkshire County, Massachusetts