Frederick Douglass Elementary School (1911-1980)

This location was home to a school from 1911 until 1980. The institution dates back to a school for African American children that first operated in the home of Rev. Dangerfield Early when Walnut Hills was annexed to the City of Cincinnati in 1870. The beloved 1911 building that served as the school until 1980 no longer exists. The building on the school's current site was its 3rd iteration. The current school, built in 2008, exists nearby at 2627 Park Ave. Spencer Educational Center has been operating on the site of the original Douglass School since 2017.

That school became part of the Cincinnati Colored School District and was known as the Elm St. School when it was located in a new building in 1872. After Ohio desegregated schools in 1887, some local African Americans sought to support the teachers as they recognized that white school officials were unlikely to extend employment opportunities. While supporting integration, they were also concerned that their children would not receive the quality of education and community connections that had been present. Although any child in the neighborhood could attend Douglass School (re-named in 1902), the institution was able to maintain an all-Black faculty and primarily served African-American children.