Charles Sumner School
Encyclopedia
The Charles Sumner School, established in 1872, was one of the earliest schools for African American
s in Washington, D.C.
Named for the prominent abolitionist
and United States Senator
Charles Sumner
, the school became the first teachers college
for black citizens in the city and the headquarters of its segregated
school system for African American students. It currently houses a small museum, a research room, art exhibits, and the archives of the District of Columbia Public Schools
.
, created after the Civil War
to provide support for freed slaves. The school was named for Charles Sumner, a prominent abolitionist and United States Senator from Massachusetts
who fought, among other things, for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia and for the right of black citizens to use streetcars in that city. The building was designed by prominent Washington architect Adolf Cluss
, a task for which he would receive a design award at the 1873 Vienna Exposition
. The school opened in 1872.
in 1862 had required the creation of schools for black children in Washington, D.C. However, it was not until 1873 that the responsibility for administration of the schools was removed from federal
agencies and placed in local hands. At that point, separate superintendents
were appointed to administer the education of white and black children in the city. Charles Sumner School was one of the first schools in this new school system, housing elementary school
classes as well as the high school
that eventually became Dunbar High School
, graduating its first high school students in 1877. That same year, the school was renamed the Myrtilla Miner Normal School and became the District's first teacher's college for African Americans.
In addition to its role as a school, the building served as headquarters of the Superintendent and Board of Trustees of the separate school system for black students.
of. In addition to a museum, the building houses the District of Columbia Public School Archives and associated reading rooms and meeting space. It is also used for exhibit space by local artists and organizations. The building was added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 1978, and to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Named for the prominent abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
and United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
, the school became the first teachers college
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
for black citizens in the city and the headquarters of its segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
school system for African American students. It currently houses a small museum, a research room, art exhibits, and the archives of the District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
.
Construction and naming
The Charles Sumner School was built on land that had previously been used as a school site by the Freedmen's BureauBureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
The Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen in 1865–1869, during the Reconstruction era of the United States....
, created after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
to provide support for freed slaves. The school was named for Charles Sumner, a prominent abolitionist and United States Senator from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
who fought, among other things, for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia and for the right of black citizens to use streetcars in that city. The building was designed by prominent Washington architect Adolf Cluss
Adolf Cluss
Adolf Cluss was a German-born American immigrant who became one of the most important architects in Washington, D.C., in the late 19th century, responsible for the design of numerous schools and other notable public buildings in the capital.He was born in 1825 in Heilbronn in the Kingdom of...
, a task for which he would receive a design award at the 1873 Vienna Exposition
Weltausstellung 1873 Wien
]The Weltausstellung 1873 Wien was the large World exposition was held in 1873 in the Austria–Hungarian capital of Vienna. Its motto was Kultur und Erziehung ....
. The school opened in 1872.
Use as a school
An Act of CongressAct of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
in 1862 had required the creation of schools for black children in Washington, D.C. However, it was not until 1873 that the responsibility for administration of the schools was removed from federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
agencies and placed in local hands. At that point, separate superintendents
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
were appointed to administer the education of white and black children in the city. Charles Sumner School was one of the first schools in this new school system, housing elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
classes as well as the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
that eventually became Dunbar High School
Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.)
Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Washington, D.C., United States. The school is located in the Truxton Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, two blocks from the intersection of New Jersey and New York Avenues...
, graduating its first high school students in 1877. That same year, the school was renamed the Myrtilla Miner Normal School and became the District's first teacher's college for African Americans.
In addition to its role as a school, the building served as headquarters of the Superintendent and Board of Trustees of the separate school system for black students.
Use as a museum
By the 1980s, the building had fallen into disrepair. Led by Richard Hurlbut, citizens of the District raised the $5 million necessary to renovate the building, a project that lasted two years from 1984 to 1986. The newly renovated building, renamed the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, was used to house a museum which Hurlbut himself was curatorCurator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of. In addition to a museum, the building houses the District of Columbia Public School Archives and associated reading rooms and meeting space. It is also used for exhibit space by local artists and organizations. The building was added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 1978, and to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979.
See also
- List of museums in Washington, D.C.
- National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia
- Normal School for Colored GirlsNormal School for Colored GirlsThe Normal School for Colored Girls established in Washington, D.C. in 1851, was an institution of learning and training for young African-American women, especially so that they might become teachers...