John Mercer Langston School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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John Mercer Langston School
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 Location in District of Columbia
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| Location | 43 P St., NW Washington, D.C. |
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| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Appleton P. Clark, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | Public School Buildings of Washington, DC MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 13000143 |
| Added to NRHP | April 9, 2013 |
The John Mercer Langston School is an old and important building. It is located in the Truxton Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.. This two-story brick building was designed by Appleton P. Clark, Jr.. It was finished in 1902. The school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. This means it is recognized as a special place in history.
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History of Langston School
This school was built in 1902 for African-American students. It helped with overcrowding at the nearby John Fox Slater Elementary School. Back then, schools in Washington, D.C., were separated by race. The Langston School was one of many schools for African-American children in that area.
The Langston School was one of 31 new schools built between 1895 and 1902. This was a time when the city's population was growing fast. On April 3, 1901, the school board decided to name the new school after John Mercer Langston. He was the first African-American congressman from Virginia. He was also a respected diplomat, professor, and lawyer in Washington, D.C.
The school officially opened in November 1902. This was just one day before the fifth anniversary of Langston's death. His family gave a portrait of him to the school.
Changes Over Time
The Slater and Langston Schools were separate at first. But in the late 1910s, Anna E. Thompson became the principal of both schools. From then on, they were often called Slater-Langston.
In 1951, the Slater School became part of the Margaret Murray Washington Vocational School. The Langston School, however, stayed an elementary school. It was usually very crowded. This was true until 1954. That year, the Supreme Court made a decision that ended school segregation.
By 1982, the overcrowding problem had changed. Fewer and fewer students attended the school. Because of this, the Langston School closed in 1997. After being a school, the building was used as a homeless shelter. Today, the building is empty.
Langston School Today
The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. It is important for its architecture, its role in education, and its connection to African-American history. The building is not currently being used.
Architecture of the School
The Langston School is a two-story building made of red brick. It was designed in the Italianate style. The school had eight classrooms, one for each grade from first to eighth.
The front of the building has two entrance towers. One was for boys, and the other was for girls. You can see a Star of David above the second-floor windows. The building looks a bit uneven. This is because a west wing was planned but never built. The school was designed by Washington architect Appleton P. Clark, Jr.
The Langston School is important for its architecture. It is a great example of a public school building. It was built for African-American students to meet the growing need for new schools in the city.
