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Central Corridor: Mill Creek Valley & Midtown
Sumner High School (2nd) 1895
Fifteenth and Walnut
Open to public / Not Open to public
The Sumner school educated students from across the city at one central location. As the area around the area became more packed, wealthier Black residents moved away from the riverfront to the Ville. The students had to walk past the gallows and saloons to get to class.
After multiple petitions from the community they moved the school from Eleventh and Spruce to Fifteenth and Walnut near the Mill Creek Valley. The second location at the Mill Creek Valley was a temporary location as the school board of St. Louis worked with residents to build a new site for the school.
SOURCE: The historical information presented on this page is adapted with permission from Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites by Dr. John A. Wright, Sr. We are honored to share his invaluable research and historical insights, made available through the generous consent of Dr. Wright and the Missouri Historical Society Press. Their dedication to preserving and celebrating the rich legacy of Black St. Louis is a gift to our community—a testament to those who came before us and a guide for those who walk the path forward.
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Fifteenth and Walnut