Clara Barton National Historic Site!

Clara Barton National Historic Site
What is it? The historic home of Clara Barton, nurse, American Red Cross founder, and saver of many lives!
What makes it historical? Ms. Barton was originally a schoolteacher, but her desire to help others even more led her to the battlefields of the Civil War! She healed wounded soldiers at Fredricksburg and Antietam, and dedicated a lot of effort to locating missing soldiers after the war (for which Congress awarded her $15,000 in compensation)!

After visiting Europe and assisting with the International Red Cross during the Franco-Prussian War, Ms. Barton returned to the US and lobbied strongly for a similar organization to be developed in the States, which she accomplished in 1881! As the head of the new American Red Cross, she oversaw disaster relief for floods and hurricanes until 1904; hurricane relief just isn’t something the history books detail when they talk about the Civil War and Reconstruction eras! Most notably, Ms. Barton never took a salary for all her work with the Red Cross!

How can I Help the Helpers? HERE’S HOW:

  • Volunteer with the George Washington Memorial Parkway!
  • Donate to the National Park Foundation!
  • Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
Where is this place? 5801 Oxford Road
Glen Echo, Maryland 20812

From Annapolis: ~45mi (73km) — 0.8hrs
From Baltimore: ~44mi (71km) — 0.8hrs
From Cumberland: ~125mi (202km) — 2.1hrs
From Salisbury: ~130mi (210km) — 2.2hrs

When should I go? The house is open every day except federal holidays, with guided tours from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM!

Clara Barton National Historic Site

Clara Barton National Historic Site

Click here to see more sites on the National Register of Historic Places!

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