About this property
Frelinghuysen University was a private historically Black university in Washington, D.C., which was open from 1906 to c. 1960. It provided adult education and social services to poor and working-class African Americans. Founded by activists Jesse and Rosetta Lawson, it was the first school to offer evening and extension courses to African American students in Washington, D.C. Focused on providing service to the working poor, the university charged the lowest tuition possible and held classes in local homes and businesses to reduce commuting time for its students. First presided over by Jesse Lawson and later by African American scholar Anna J. Cooper, the university offered programs for those with limited or no literacy and a full high school curriculum and courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The university was named after Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, a politician from New Jersey, for his support of African-American causes, and several of its schools were named in honor of other public servants who worked to support African Americans. The university's first permanent classroom building, located at 1800 Vermont Avenue in Northwest Washington, D.C., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance to African American education. Following financial difficulties in the early 1930s and the loss of accreditation in 1937, the school changed its name to Frelinghuysen Group of Schools for Colored Working People in 1940. The university experienced a slow decline throughout the 1940s. Although not awarding degrees, the university still provided educational and social services to the African-American community that were otherwise unavailable during this time. By 1964, Frelinghuysen University had closed.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building
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Questions about this property
When was Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building listed on the National Register?
Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 6, 1995.
What type of historic resource is Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building?
Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building?
The period of significance for Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1906.
Can I research the history near Frelinghuysen University, Former Classroom Building?
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