Charles Sumner School and the Sumner Museum and Archives
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
The Charles Sumner School
The Charles Sumner School
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Charles Sumner School was built on the site of a previous educational building that had been constructed in 1866. After the school’s dedication in 72’, it grew in stature as an African American institution for the District of Columbia. It stands as one of few physical markers that signify the African American history in the area. A large renovation project in the 1980s brought the structure back to working order thanks to the efforts of Richard L. Hurlbut and other supporters.
The Charles Sumner School provided education for many African Americans who had recently settled in the area with their families following the conclusion of the Civil War. The school was the center of Black education during many years of segregated education in the D.C. area. The school only began to decline after the integration of D.C. schools in the 1950s.
Now the Charles Sumner Museum and Archives, the building still stands where it has since 1872, and houses displays and information about the school’s development and operation. Within the museum are many displays with information about the school’s operation and the influence it had on the African Americans in D.C. The building also houses the District of Columbia Public School Archives and other associated reading rooms.
Sources
15 Sept. 2014, msummerfieldimages.com/charles-sumner-school/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2017.
Charleston Sumner School, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc58.htm. Accessed 2 Nov. 2017.
https://www.loc.gov/item/2011631442/