Our Mission, Vision & Values

We are blessed to work with the DC community and visitors from all over the world to inspire empathy, unity, and personal growth.

Have graced our halls and been inspired by our unique exhibits, intimate music experiences, artitist & author talks, programs, and more.

We Have Given $4 Million+ Toward Our Artist & Heroes-In-Residence Programs Our Artist-In-Residence & Heroes programs provides a supportive, encouraging environment, free from outside pressures - so that participants may rest, heal, or create at no cost.

Give Back When You Stay Rated in the Forbes top #7 hotels in Washington, DC our themed rooms serve as hotel rooms for guests visiting the nation's capital...

We Support Other Non-Profits As a non-profit we understand the needs of other organizations. We have helped many raise money for their organizations through events, partnerships, and unique fundraisers.

Inspiring All Who Visit O Museum In The Mansion was created for everyone to share and collaborate within - and then go out into the world, where anything is possible, and dreams can be made real.

Welcoming All To Our Nation's Capitol We offer guests the opportunity to explore themselves, engage with others, and experience how we are each unique and similar at the same time. Whether it is finding synchrony in a beat, connecting with another?s story or being moved by an image ? these commonalities and shared experiences create bonds of empathy for one another that can be brought out into the world to encourage compassion and bridge the divide.

Art, Music, Literature & Sports Bring Us Together We offer artists, performers, authors, and creatives from all walks of life to share their talents through our innovative programs.

In the heart of Washington, D.C., The Big O is a collection of five interconnected townhouses boasting 112 rooms, 32 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms (matching the White House), 16 kitchens, and over 80 secret doors. Designed in 1892 by Edward Clark, the architect of the U.S. Capitol, it served as the home for Edward, his brother James "Champ" Clark (Speaker of the House during Teddy Roosevelt's Presidency), and another brother known as "the artist." Although plans for a connecting house for their sister fell through, the archway to her house was nearly completed. Originally spanning three row houses (now five), it featured separate sleeping quarters for each brother upstairs and incorporated leftover Capitol materials, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship from that era. It stands as one of the last well-preserved private residences from the 19th to 20th centuries in Washington, D.C.

Edward Clark brought some of the finest wood craftsmen from Germany to work on the Capitol and invited them to stay at his home, at 2020 O Street. While there, they created much of the elaborate wood carvings, banisters and trim work still visible on the property. In addition, they incorporated into their mill work many of the extraordinary Tiffany windows still housed in the building today.

In the 1930's the home was converted into three separate rooming houses for FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's G-men. To combat the rise of organized crime, outlaws, and gangsters J. Edgar Hoover formed the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These new agents became known by the name G-men (short for "Government Man"). Their operations were covert and the agents were so little known that they were often confused with Secret Service or Prohibition Bureau agents.

In the 1960's, the student leaders of the protest movement lived at 2020 O Street, now home to O Street Museum. Norman Mailer wrote about them - and the house - in his book "Armies of the Night".

From 1977 to 1990 "America's Black Forum", a nationally syndicated news broadcast, & "Sounds of the City", a black radio series both recorded at 2016 O St. "America's Black Forum" is one of the longest running U.S. syndicated television series and is now produced and recorded at TV One.

UniWorld Group, Inc., (the parent company of Uniworld Entertainment, UniWorld Hispanic and UniWorld Healthcare) run by Walker Williams and Byron Lewis was also housed in 2016 O St. until it was sold to us and reconnected to the original buildings in 1990. Walker was an O Museum in The Mansion Board Member for over 30 years.

A resident of O Museum in The Mansion and supporter of O Street for over a decade - Mrs. Rosa Parks was a mother figure and mentor to Founder, H.H. Leonards. She entertained friends, dignitaries and guests while she was with us and hosted a Sunday gospel brunch each month. You can see her room on the third floor along with many of her signed letters and artifacts in the museum collection.

We are honored to have been included on The African American Heritage Trail and designated as a 20th Century Civil Rights site by Cultural Tourism DC. Watch the dedication ceremony with Mayor Muriel Bowser

From 1994 to 2003 The Mansion On O & O Street Museum was the place Mrs. Rosa Parks called home whenever she visited Washington, DC. Mrs. Rosa Parks helped spark the American civil rights movement in 1955 by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated Montgomery, Alabama bus. That act made her one of the most important women in American history and earned her the nickname "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement".

The African American Heritage Trail identifies sites that are important in local and national history and culture -recognizing the people and places that have shaped our city.

Learn more about Mrs. Parks time with us.

Click to view a slideshow of historical building photos

On February 14, 1980 the property was purchased by H.H. Leonards, with the intent to restore its original character by reconnecting the row houses. In 1985, nearly a century after its original construction, she transformed the garden site into a unique five-story companion annex - completing the Clarks' dream.

Hear the story in H's own words

In the spring of 1999, Jay Bothwell - architect, developer and good neighbor of the O - donated marble pieces from the Washington Monument construction project that was going on at that time. These pieces can be found in the Secret Gardens.

Today, the property consists of more than 100 rooms of varying architectural, artistic and design periods, from the Victorian Age to Art Deco/Avant Garde. Highlights include hand painted ceilings (so you look up, and out of yourself), original Tiffany stained glass windows, a two-story Log Cabin and the secluded Art Deco penthouse with private elevator.

Most of the artifacts in the collection - the signed guitars, memorabilia, documents, letters and more - have been donated by their original owners who support The Museum's mission.

The best thing about any art form is that it provides an outlet to get your thoughts and ideas into the open. But the rewards of art don't stop with the creative process, for art is an expression of love that has a lasting effect. This effect is felt not just in the giving and receiving, but in the telling, the creating-and in the freedom to express one's feelings.

Everyone is a volunteer at the O Street Museum Foundation. Because of our talented, and dedicated volunteers, The Museum is proof that business can succeed without "profit" and endure even when dollars do not flow to that imaginary bottom line.

We are a testament to the fact that one can start without money, achieve a vision and share wealth that transcends a monetary figure. When you are true to your vision, committed to your path, and willing to share yourselves, we all can achieve things beyond what we know. It's about letting go. Taking risks. Opening your heart.

Our board members and volunteers go beyond the traditional directorial tasks of setting policy and defining goals. We think with our hearts and feel with our minds because we all believe it's love that stimulates our collective vision, which in turn fuels our practical efforts. Each of us share a passion for, and commitment to the Museum's mission, and are willing to roll up their sleeves to help with the day-to-day work.

• O Street Advisory Board
• About The Founder
• Music From O Museum in The Mansion

Books By The Founder:

• Rosa Parks: Beyond The Bus Life, Lessons and Leadership
• Gems of Wisdom Mrs. Rosa Parks Taught Me
• Simple Things
• Live Heaven
• Lessons
• DID YOU KNOW? Things You Don't Know (Or Remember) About Mrs. Rosa Parks, published by Trinity and More

The O Street Museum Foundation, is a nonprofit corporation, tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a private operating foundation under section 4942(j)(3). We are organized and existing under the laws of the District of Columbia, with principal business address of 2020 O Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

Federal tax identification number: 31-1550078
D.C. tax identification number: 8399-0232957-001
Date of Issue: April 24, 1998

IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter
O Street Museum Business License
O Street Museum Franchise Tax Exemption
O Street Museum Sales & Use Exemption