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The Ville, Northside, Riverview
Sumner High School (3rd) 1910
4248 Cottage Avenue
Open to public / Not Open to public
Open to public
The institution was the first public school west of the Mississippi River to educate Black Americans. Sumner High School's multiple locations represent the long struggle for education in the state of Missouri beginning before the Civil War. Former Sumner High School locations were at Eleventh and Spruce as well as Fifteenth and Walnut. Both were located in the city center of a bustling and vibrant center of the local economy. Students traveled from all over to attend Sumner High School as it was the only place for Black St. Louis citizens to get an education. The school had 210 pupils with 27 graduates for the 1894 until 1895 school year.
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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4248 Cottage Avenue