Clara Barton Birthplace - North Oxford, MA - Civil War Discovery Trail Sites on Waymarking.com

Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was born on Christmas Day in 1821 in this house North Oxford, MA. Early in her career she worked as a school teacher is south central Massachusetts. In 1850, she attended the Clinton Liberal Institute in New York and then opened a free school in New Jersey. Next she work as a clerk in the US Patent Office in Washington D.C.

She was in Washington D.C. when the Civil War began. In 1862, after the First Battle of Bull Run, Clara Barton involved the public and gathered and distributed medical supplies for wounded soldiers. In 1864, she was appointed by Union General Benjamin Butler to take charge of the field hospitals on the front lines for the Union Army of the James. In this capacity, she became known as is known as the "Angel of the Battlefield." After the war she was in charge of the Office of Missing Soldiers.

After the war she travelled to Europe. During a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, Clara Barton was introduced to the Swiss organization the Red Cross, an organization founded Henry Dunant that provided relief on a neutral basis. Clara Barton worked to get recognition for International Committee of the Red Cross by the United States government. Soon thereafter, Clara Barton became the first President of the American Red Cross.

Type of site: Historic Home Address: 66 Clara Barton Road North Oxford, MA United States 01537 Phone Number: 508-987-2056 Admission Charged: More than $5 Website: [Web Link] Driving Directions: From Route 12 (Main Street) in North Oxford go west for 0.75 miles to the house on the right.

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