Historical Marker

First Bloom

Historical marker location:
Columbia Island, District of Columbia
( Marker can be reached from George Washington Memorial Parkway north of Boundary Channel Drive, on the right when traveling east.)
Marker installed: 1978

Lady Bird Johnson Park. George Washington Memorial Parkway

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.
District of Columbia random facts