737 61st Avenue

—Historic Site, Built 1912 —

The Fairmount Heights Elementary School is one of the largest buildings in the community. Before its construction, classes were held in nearby Charity Hall (715 61st Avenue). in early 1911, a group of residents approached the Prince George's County Board of School Commissioners and requested that an elementary school be built. The Board agreed, and a building committee which included William Sidney Pittman was appointed. William S. Pittman a resident of Fairmount Heights was a noted African American architect who attended Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and received a degree in Architectural and Mechanical Drawing from Drexel Institute in 1900. Architect Pittman was chosen to submit a design for the school. The board ordered that the school be erected in accordance with Pittman's plans and specifications. A few months later, the board purchased four unimproved lots at the corner of Chapel Avenue (now 61st Avenue) and Addison Road. The school was constructed and ready to open by June 1912. By 1915, enrollment had increased to 160 pupils. There were five teachers, four classrooms, and a carpenter shop. At that time, it was the only public school in Prince George's County with industrial training for African American students.
The school is a two story, hip roof frame structure. The pyramidal roof cupola, which originally housed the



school bell, has been enclosed.
Funded by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
Sponsored by the Mayor and Town Council of Fairmount Heights, 2016

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Show me all markers in:  Capitol Heights, MD  |  Prince George's County  |  20743  |  Maryland  |  United States of America

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