Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Historical marker location:

229 First Street Southwest, Southwest Federal Center, District of Columbia

( Marker can be reached from 1st Street Southwest south of Independence Avenue Southwest, on the left when traveling south.)

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

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.