Building Out the Square

Historical marker location:

400 4th Street Northwest, Judiciary Square, District of Columbia

( Marker is at the intersection of 4th Street Northwest and Indiana Avenue Northwest, on the right when traveling south on 4th Street Northwest.)

Marker installed: 2012

Civil War to Civil Rights. Downtown Heritage Trail.

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.