Location

In 1864, the Military Road School - so named because of its location on the road leading to Fort Stevens - began in a deserted army barrack at the edge of the Fort.

It became a public school in 1866 and was the only elementary school for colored children in upper Northwest and portions of Maryland for years. Early families paid 25 cents a lesson to teach the children of the new freed-slave community, and many students traveled from southern cities to attend the school because of its academic excellence.

Although closed in 1954 when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education, resulting in the desegregation of public schools, alumni succeeded in having the school building listed on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites in 1998. It was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

The Military Road School Preservation Trust (MRSPT) evolved from the Military Road School Alumni Association for the purpose of extending membership privileges to persons other than alumni who share our mission of preserving the Military Road School’s legacy through educational programs and events of particular significance to the Washington Metropolitan community.

The Trust is a 501)(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in DC, which supports and participates in similar preservation efforts and community enrichment activities.