Spencer Fullerton Baird

Historical marker location:

1000 Jefferson Drive Southwest, The National Mall, District of Columbia

( Marker can be reached from Jefferson Drive Southwest east of 12th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling east.)

Marker installed: 1976

1823 - 1887

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.