Following the Civil War and the Emancipation of American slaves, the Federal Government established the Freedman's Bureau to oversee programs aimed at educating and assisting blacks with their newly-granted citizenship. One of the most visible of the bureau's programs was the organization and building of schools.

The first free public school for blacks in San Antonio was built on this site in the late 1860's. Operated by the local office of the Freedman's Bureau, the school was a two-story stone structure. Called Rincon School because of its location on Rincon (now St. Mary's) Street. The school provided instruction to students of all ages.

Operation of the school was assumed by the city of San Antonio in 1871, and it was made part of the city's school district. The name was changed to Riverside School in 1890, and to Frederick Douglass School in 1904. Ten years later the school was relocated to a two-story brick building at what is now 318 Martin Luther King Drive.

An important part of the city's history, Rincon/Douglass School has been integral to the education of a large portion of San Antonio's population.

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