Shaw Junior High School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Shaw Junior High School
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 Location in Washington, D.C.
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| Location | 7th St. and Rhode Island Ave., NW Washington, D.C. |
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| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Henry Ives Cobb |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| MPS | Public School Buildings of Washington, DC MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001206 |
| Added to NRHP | December 22, 2008 |
Shaw Junior High School, now known as Asbury Dwellings, is a historic building in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C.. A historic building is one that is important because of its age or what happened there. This building has been recognized as a historic site since 2008. It is listed on both the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places.
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History of Shaw Junior High School
Who Was Robert Gould Shaw?
The school was named after Robert Gould Shaw. He was a brave leader during the American Civil War. Shaw led the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, which was one of the first official groups of African American soldiers.
Early Days as a Training School
The building first opened in 1902 as the William McKinley Manual Training School. This school was only for white students. At the same time, the Armstrong Manual Training School opened for African American students.
These schools were part of a new idea in education. They taught "industrial education," which meant students learned practical skills for jobs. This was different from just learning subjects like math and history to prepare for college.
Becoming Shaw Junior High
In 1928, the McKinley school moved to a bigger building. The old building then became Robert Gould Shaw Junior High School. This school had already opened for Black students in 1921.
The new Shaw Junior High also remained a school just for Black students. This continued even after segregation officially ended. The building became very crowded and was not kept in good condition. People even called it "Shameful Shaw" because it showed how the city neglected schools for African American students.
Moving to New Locations
In 1977, Shaw Junior High moved to a new building. Then, in 2008, it moved again and became Shaw Middle School at Garnet-Patterson. This school later closed in 2013 because not enough students were attending.
Shaw's Music Program
Shaw Junior High was famous for its amazing music program. The school band was very talented. They even marched in big parades like the Macy's parade in New York City and the Rose Bowl parade. They also performed in the Gimbel's parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Lloyd Hoover was the director of this successful band.
Today, the old Shaw Junior High building is no longer a school. It has been turned into apartments where people live.
How the Shaw Neighborhood Got Its Name
Before the 1960s, the area we now call Shaw was known as Midcity. In 1966, city planners used the area around Shaw Junior High School to create a plan called the Shaw School Urban Renewal Area.
This plan helped create the idea of a "Shaw neighborhood." This neighborhood was actually much larger than what most people consider Shaw today. It included areas like the U Street Corridor, Logan Circle, and Truxton Circle.
Architecture of the Building
Building Design
The building was designed by a famous architect named Henry Ives Cobb. The city hired private architects like him to make public schools look better.
The outside of the building is made of light brown bricks and has special stone decorations called limestone trim. A cool feature of the building is on the third floor. It has a series of Romanesque arches, which are rounded doorways or windows that give it a classic look.
Images for kids
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The building today, known as Asbury Dwellings.
