William Syphax Public School, built in 1902 to serve African American children under the city's then-segregated school system, honored the first president of the Board of Trustees of the DC Colored Schools.
The original building was designed in 1900 by noted Washington architects Marsh & Peter in a Colonial Revival style.
Mr. Syphax (1825-1891) was a descendent of Martha Washington's grandson and an enslaved woman. Mr. Syphax was born enslaved in Arlington, Virginia, to an enslaved mothe and free black father. One year later, he, his mother, and nine siblings received their freedom. Mr. Syphax became an educator and also worked at the Department of the Interior. He was a leader in the effort to establish the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth in 1870, the nation's first public high school for African Americans. He was also a tireless advocate for the desegregation of Washington's public schools. Syphax family descendents continue to contribute to the well-being of Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia.
In 1994 the DC Board of Education closed Syphax School because the school-age population had declined, leaving Anthony Bowen and Margaret Amidon elementary schools to serve the community. In 2003, Manna, Inc., acquired and preserved the original school's exterior as part of a development of affordable
housing.
Photos, courtesy Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives; Smithsonian Institution Archives
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