Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument

Charles Young was the first African American colonel in the U.S. Army and led the renowned Buffalo Soldiers—the United States’ first Black cavalry.

Following in the footsteps of his father—who escaped slavery to fight with the Union in the Civil War—Young fought alongside White regiments. He and his men were instrumental in exploring, settling, and protecting western lands and national parks. Young was eventually appointed the first Black superintendent of the National Park Service, a position he held until his death with full military honors in 1922.

Young’s incredible contributions to American history and our National Park System spurred President Barack Obama to choose his home as the site to tell the Buffalo Soldiers’ story. But there was one problem: the Charles Young house in Wilberforce, Ohio, was privately owned.

Working with the Omega Psi Phi Friendship Foundation and the African American Experience Fund of the National Park Foundation, Trust for Public Land was able to transfer ownership of the Charles Young house from private hands to the National Park Service in 2013.

Now the site is a National Monument and conserved for the long haul—opening the door for future generations to learn and grow together.