Chestnut Blight

Historical marker location:

5900 MacArthur Blvd NW, The Palisades, District of Columbia

( Marker is on MacArthur Boulevard Northwest, 0.1 miles north of Little Falls Road Northwest, on the left when traveling north.)

The District was a major center of the slave trade in the 19th century: Prior to the Civil War, Washington, D.C. was home to one of the largest slave markets in the country. Slaves were bought and sold in public auctions held in the city, and many prominent politicians and businessmen owned slaves.