The historic town house in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood where civil rights pioneer Frederick Douglass married his second wife, Helen Pitts, in 1884 has been sold for $1.8 million. The property, owned by prominent clergyman and co-founder of the NAACP Francis James Grimké, hosted Douglass’s intimate wedding ceremony in its parlor room.
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger have come under fire for their decision to demolish a historically significant home in Los Angeles, known as the Zimmerman house. The property was recognized as an outstanding example of Modernist architecture by the Los Angeles Conservancy and was identified as potentially historic by SurveyLA, but lacked formal protections that would have prevented its demolition. Public reaction to the demolition has been overwhelmingly negative, with critics condemning the couple for destroying an important piece of architectural heritage and for their choice of architect for the new construction. The Zimmerman house, designed by architect Craig Ellwood in 1950, was featured in Progressive Architecture magazine and was known for its mid-century modern design. Pratt and Schwarzenegger acquired the home for $12.5 million in 2023 and tore it down shortly after.
