massachusetts commemorating important location life african american intellectual civil rights activist site contains remnants home grandfather lived years life given house planned unable sold house torn later decade site located state routes west junction route plans develop site memorial late 1960s delayed local opposition site proponents attributed racism opinions generally expressed opposition radical politics later life site declared listed national_register_of_historic_places site donated state administered history family dutch origin present vicinity massachusetts colonial times documented ownership land area african american slave family dutch english african native american ancestry probably earned freedom participation american revolutionary war descendants mother commonly referred born leading african american intellectual civil rights activist founder early 19th century black settled area miles outside center birthplace torn abandoned father mother moved infant son house parents wife article house black described house place simple square low great room fireplace kitchen half step lower steep strong stairs led sleep brook mighty years old grandfather died grandmother forced sell house settle debts mother moved family struggled support son gifted student attended scholarship funds raised members town completed second bachelor degree harvard graduate work berlin african american earn doctorate harvard embarked distinguished career decades periodically returned children born homes maternal relatives buried son wife sent young family great working atlanta georgia year race riots expressed interest purchasing grandfather property visit years later brothers civil rights activists involved raised funds purchased old homestead gift birthday plans transform property middle class summer retreat financial difficulties new_york_city atlanta difficult accomplish finally sold property neighbor house dilapidated torn conversion memorial purchased parcels old lands including site house form shape private residence announced intention converting property park commemorate plan met local opposition wilson gordon outsiders wilson controversial area real estate developer originally tennessee gordon new_york_city opposition generally criticism communist sympathies american citizenship late life died buried period united_states growing controversy related vietnam war tumultuous social changes position resented veterans organizations veterans foreign wars wilson worked explain complex legacy support civil rights noted role battles despite later treason revolution supporters memorial suspected fbi opposition having scrutiny communist views fbi found considered planting critical news story concluded local opposition sufficient intervene wilson felt opponents motivated racial issues opposition expressed racial terms period captured national attention court decisions legislation resulted major changes wilson gordon established memorial foundation ownership property funded high profile donors including foundation received property september dedicated later year local hostility continued counseling violence suggested site town briefly threatened prevent dedication ceremony suggesting question intended use site met local regulations years foundation develop property significant way members reluctant place permanent markers displays fear vandalism theft decade death site designated listed national_register_of_historic_places permission foundation began series archaeological excavations property seeking research history black family amassed collection papers foundation turned property state university steward university paid construction parking area installation signs today late 20th century parcels land form acre site planted thick grove pine trees path leads north parking area life path leads west small depression memorial boulder installed commemorative plaque near southwest corner property remnants original house stone foundation residents come support legacy marked places town important life site occasional target vandalism happens public places site considered
W.E.B. Du Bois Boyhood Homesite