A Hilltop for Heroes and Horse Thieves

Historical marker location:

Columbia Heights, District of Columbia

( Marker is at the intersection of 16th Street Northwest and Euclid Street Northwest, on the right when traveling north on 16th Street Northwest.)

Meridian Hill Park, National Historic Landmark. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

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.