Mary Surratt's Boarding House

Historical marker location:

604 H Street Northwest, Chinatown, District of Columbia

( Marker is on H Street Northwest just west of 6th Street Northwest (U.S. 1/50), on the right when traveling east.)

Civil War to Civil Rights. Downtown Heritage Trail

architecture houses residential buildings

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.