The house was built in 1892 by English-born Frederick Bex, a Brightwood
carriage maker. It has been named after Lightfoot because he was an owner for longer, starting as early as 1917; and because of Lightfoot's connection to the neighboring African American community, of which many participated in
salons in this home. The Brightwood neighborhood was one of the first neighborhoods that free Black people moved into, and George M. Lightfoot House is one of the original homes in the neighborhood. According to the National Park Service, the George M. Lightfoot House also represents African American homeownership, at a time when few Black Americans were able to purchase large homes in the suburban areas of Washington, D.C. == See also ==