Morgan’s Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum Added to the National Register of Historic Places

Nestled within the quaint Baltimore City residential community of Madison Park at 1320 Eutaw Place stands the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum—the second of Morgan State University’s two university-owned and operated museums. Noted for being the former home of a civil rights icon, the living museum stands as a testament to the courageous efforts of Lillie Carroll Jackson, a trailblazing civil rights leader and educator, who dedicated her life to advocating for racial equality, social justice, and civil rights advancements. As part of an effort to preserve this beacon of historical significance and education, the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum has been officially added to the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. This esteemed recognition highlights the museum's important historical and cultural contributions to the civil rights movement and its enduring impact on American society. 

The acknowledgment by the National Register of Historic Places underscores the museum's pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of civil rights history in the United States. By honoring Lillie Carroll Jackson's legacy, the museum serves as an educational hub for visitors, students, and scholars, fostering a deeper understanding of the struggles, triumphs, and ongoing challenges in the pursuit of equality.

The National Register of Historic Places recognizes districts, buildings, structures, objects, and sites for their significance in American history, archaeology, architecture, engineering, or culture, and identifies them as worthy of preservation. The National Register is a program of the U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and is administered at the State level by the Maryland Historical Trust.

The National Register currently comprises more than 1,500 listings in Maryland, including some 200 historic districts. Listed properties span a wide variety of types and periods, ranging from prehistoric archaeological sites to buildings of the recent past, and include rural landscapes, urban and suburban neighborhoods, bridges, sailing vessels, and more. 

The Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum features meticulously curated exhibits, artifacts, and interactive displays that showcase pivotal moments and individuals in the civil rights movement. Through engaging storytelling and immersive experiences, the museum provides visitors with a profound and insightful journey into the struggles and victories that have shaped the nation’s history. In 2018, the museum received a Maryland Preservation Award, and in 2019, received a grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to fund the development of a programmatic, civil rights-based educational curriculum aimed at Baltimore City middle school and high school students. Additionally, Travel Noire magazine named the museum a “Must See for the Culture” in 2023.

The Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum is one of two museums owned and operated by the University, the other being The James E. Lewis Museum of Art and Culture. For more information about the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum and upcoming events, please visit https://www.lilliecarrolljacksonmuseum.org/.