Hidden in plain sight on Vermont Avenue stands the Edwin P. Goodwin House. This unassuming Queen Anne style building holds a legacy far greater than its elegant facade suggests. Constructed in 1879 for insurance agent Edwin P. Goodwin, it later became a beacon of hope and opportunity for the Black community in Washington D.C. The Edwin P. Goodwin House transformed into the main classroom of Frelinghuysen University, a historically Black institution.
Frelinghuysen University, named after Senator Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen, a champion of Black rights during Reconstruction, opened its doors within the Edwin P. Goodwin House. Founded by Jesse and Rosetta Lawson, the university offered a unique educational lifeline. It was the first institution in the District of Columbia to offer extension and evening classes to Black students. Imagine the halls of the Edwin P. Goodwin House bustling with students eager for knowledge, attending classes after long workdays. This was a place where dreams were nurtured and futures were forged.
Tragically, the Great Depression cast a long shadow over Frelinghuysen University. Financial hardship led to the loss of accreditation in 1937. The name changed in 1940 to Frelinghuysen Group of Schools for Colored Working People. While the university could no longer grant degrees, the Edwin P. Goodwin House continued to serve its community. It provided vital educational and social services, filling a gap left by other institutions. The legacy of the Edwin P. Goodwin House extended beyond formal education. It became a hub for community support and empowerment, offering resources otherwise unavailable to the Black community. The fight for equal access to education and opportunity continued within these walls, even as the university’s formal status changed.
Frelinghuysen finally closed its doors in 1964. However, the Edwin P. Goodwin House remains. It stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of a community striving for knowledge and equality. Today, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Edwin P. Goodwin House reminds us of the power of education to uplift and transform. It reminds us of the unwavering commitment of those who fought for a brighter future, within the elegant walls of a once ordinary house on Vermont Avenue.