National Register of Historic Places

Sumner, Charles, High School

St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
Listed
April 18, 1988
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
88000469

About this property

Sumner High School is a St. Louis public high school that was the first high school for African-American students west of the Mississippi River in the United States. Together with Vashon High School, Sumner was one of only two public high schools in St. Louis City for African-American students and was segregated. Established in 1875 only after extensive lobbying by some of St. Louis' African-American residents, Sumner moved to its current location in 1908. It has historically also been known as Charles H. Sumner High School, and Sumner Stone High School. As of the 2024-2025 school year, the school had an enrollment of 407 students and 32 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis). There were 407 students eligible for free lunch and 0 (0.0% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.

Location

4248 W. Cottage Ave.
St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
38.65953, -90.23921

Categories

BLACKARCHITECTURE
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

Antioch Baptist Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
St. Ferdinand Avenue in The Ville Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Cote Brilliante Avenue in The Ville Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
St. Louis Colored Orphans Home
Industrial
0.2 mi
Tandy Community Center
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Action at St. Louis (Spanish Fort San Carlos)
1780Revolutionary War
3.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sumner, Charles, High School listed on the National Register?

Sumner, Charles, High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 18, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Sumner, Charles, High School?

Sumner, Charles, High School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Sumner, Charles, High School?

The period of significance for Sumner, Charles, High School is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Sumner, Charles, High School?

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