Educational Institutions

Historical marker location:

2153 California Street Northwest, Sheridan-Kalorama, District of Columbia

( Marker is at the intersection of California Street Northwest and Phelps Place Northwest, on the right when traveling west on California Street Northwest.)

Sheridan Kalorama. Call Box Restoration Project

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.