Discover DC / Metro Center

Historical marker location:

601 13th Street Northwest, Penn Quarter, District of Columbia

( Marker is at the intersection of 13th Street Northwest and G Street Northwest, on the right when traveling north on 13th Street Northwest.)

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.