Building 20, Grant Hall

Historical marker location:

Fort McNair, District of Columbia

( Marker can be reached from 2nd Avenue north of C Street, on the right when traveling north.)

Marker installed: 2013

The District was the site of the first U.S. public school for black students: The M Street School (later known as Dunbar High School) was founded in 1870 and was the first public school in the United States for black students. The school became known for its high academic standards and produced many notable alumni, including civil rights leader and educator Mary McLeod Bethune.