Francis Griffith Newlands

Historical marker location:

3307 Western Avenue Northwest, Chevy Chase, District of Columbia

( Marker is at the intersection of Chevy Chase Circle Northwest and Connecticut Avenue Northwest, in the median on Chevy Chase Circle Northwest.)

Marker installed: 1933

1878 - 1917.

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.