The Watergate Hotel

Historical marker location:

2650 Virginia Avenue Northwest, Foggy Bottom, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Virginia Avenue Northwest west of New Hampshire Avenue Northwest, on the right when traveling east.)

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.