Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers

1120 U.S. Route 42 E, Wilberforce, Ohio 45384 USA

Independent

The Colonel Charles Young house is a National Historic Landmark in Wilberforce, Ohio. A career U.S. Army officer, Charles Young was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1864. He was the third African American graduate of West Point, the first black U.S. national park superintendent, the first African American military attaché, and the highest ranking black officer in the United States Army until his death in 1922. He also taught military science at Wilberforce University. On March 25, 2013, under the Antiquities Act, President Barack Obama designated the house as the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, a unit of the National Park Service. Operated as a house museum with exhibits as well about the Buffalo Soldiers, it is currently open for public visitation.

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Reviewed by
chriscordray

18 Reviews
4 Helpful

June 11, 2018

Rated 3.0

This site has A LOT of potential. Charles Young was a pretty interesting figure, but the staff seemed a little uninformed. That may not be fair, but here is what we experienced. When we arrived, the whole site was locked up tight, despite cars in the parking lot. We walked around and finally two interns from a local University let us in. They showed us the movie (which was nicely done) and then gave us the tour (which was basically everything from the movie). When we asked questions, the interns had to go ask the Rangers. We realized later that there were four Rangers sitting in a closed room upstairs, while the interns were working. Like I said, lots of potential, but so far, less than ideal. It’s a new site, so maybe they’ll put in some more effort over the coming years. This is a good NPS site if you’re passing through and have an hour to spare.

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