John Phillip Sousa Junior High School
National Historic Landmark

John Phillip Sousa Junior High School

Washington DC, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
August 6, 2001
Type
Building
Period
Modern
Ref No.
01001045

About this property

The John Philip Sousa Middle School, formerly the John Philip Sousa Junior High School, is a public school located at 3650 Ely Place in SE area of Washington, D.C. Located in the city's Fort Dupont neighborhood, it serves grades 6–8. Its school building, built in 1950, was the scene of civil rights action not long after its construction. Twelve black students were denied admission to the all-white school. This action was eventually overturned in the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Bolling v. Sharpe, which made segregated public schools illegal in the District of Columbia. The defeat of the legal doctrine "separate but equal" marked an early victory in the modern Civil Rights Movement. The school was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001 for its role in this action. In 2022 it was designated an affiliated area of Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park.

Location

3650 Ely Place, SE
Washington DC, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.88354, -76.95227
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Duvall Manor Apartments
Industrial
0.3 mi
Woodlawn Cemetery
Listed
0.8 mi
Smothers Elementary School
Industrial
1 mi
Engine Company 19
Modern
1.1 mi
Southeast No. 2 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia
Listed
1.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was John Phillip Sousa Junior High School listed on the National Register?

John Phillip Sousa Junior High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 2001.

What type of historic resource is John Phillip Sousa Junior High School?

John Phillip Sousa Junior High School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is John Phillip Sousa Junior High School a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. John Phillip Sousa Junior High School has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for John Phillip Sousa Junior High School?

The period of significance for John Phillip Sousa Junior High School is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 1950.

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