Charles Sumner School: An Education in American Public Education
Dotted around Washington, D.C. are a number of classic brick buildings -- some in disrepair, others turned into office buildings -- and some re-invigorated and now reminders of the slow evolution toward civility in America. One such building is the Charles Sumner School. The Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives provided more than just education and possibilities – it gave African-American children the chance to make a life that was virtually impossible for their enslaved ancestors.
Located unassumingly on the corner of M and 17th streets, N.W. -- less than a block from the National Geographic Society -- the three-story red brick Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives is unquestionably a historic monument among the modern offices with which it stands.
The Charles Sumner School was established in 1872 as a fully functioning institution for African Americans in Washington. Today, it remains a small museum and archival location for the District of Columbia public school system. Filled with records, photos, artifacts and other items from the school's history, the museum is the top archive for African-American educational history in D.C.
The Charles Sumner School was named after U.S. Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, an ardent abolitionist and leader of the Civil War-era Radical Republicans. The school was Washington's first teachers' college for African Americans and one of the earliest schools established for black students during a time of segregated education.
In the beginning, elementary and secondary school classes were taught in the building. It was also the headquarters for the board of trustees and superintendent of the school system for black students. Eventually, the high school separated into its own facility elsewhere in D.C.
The school closed in 1978 and fell into disrepair, like many other historic District schoolhouses. But through extraordinary efforts and generous donations, the building was restored in the mid-1980s into a museum and archives. The museum focuses on public education, with rotating exhibits throughout the year, and has a small art space and meeting rooms that can be reserved by nonprofits and government organizations.
HelloWashingtonDC Tip: The archives of the Washington, D.C. public school system are available for viewing by appointment only. Art receptions, lectures, concerts, celebrations of Charles Sumner's birthday and other events also take place at the Charles Sumner school throughout the year. Check the museum's Facebook page for updates.
Posted on Mar 1, 2011 by Rin-rin Yu
