The DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development is pleased to recognize the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, located in Northwest, as the April 2015 Location of the Month.
The Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, constructed in 1872 and designed by German architect Adolph Cluss, was one of the first public elementary schools in Washington, DC for African American Students and was named for US Senator Charles Sumner, a major figure in the fight for abolition of slavery and the establishment of equal rights for African Americans. In honor of Emancipation Day in the District, celebrated on April 15, the Sumner School is recognized for its historical significance, exquisite architecture, and diverse capabilities for filming and special events.
Sumner School was built on the site of an earlier school constructed in 1866 under the auspices of the Freedmen's Bureau. Since its dedication in 1872, the School's history encompasses the growing educational opportunities available for the District of Columbia's African Americans. The school served as the first teachers college for black citizens and the headquarters for the African American Division of the District's dual school system until school desegregation in 1954.
Throughout the years, the Sumner School has continued to facilitate a number of educational functions, including housing the Hawthorne School, School Without Walls, and other initiatives and programs. By the late 1970s, the school had fallen into disrepair and the building was slated for demolition. Through the concerted efforts of Richard L. Hurlbut and others, a meticulous $5 million renovation was undertaken from 1982 to 1986. The school was chartered in 1986 as Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives with Richard L. Hurlbut serving as the founding director.
For nearly three decades, the school has served as the official Museum, Archives, and Repository for artifacts, documents and memorabilia related to the history and legacy of public education in the District. The collection has grown tremendously over the years and the former classrooms and other areas have been transformed into dynamic, informative changing and permanent exhibitions celebrating and recounting the history of the people, places, and movements within the 200 plus year old public education system of Washington, DC.
Sumner School, which houses a small museum, a research room, art exhibits, and the archives of the District of Columbia Public Schools can be used for a number of purposes, including but not limited to: film screenings, press announcements, one-on-one interviews, documentary/b-roll filming, commercial filming (on a case-by-case basis), and town hall meetings. Women in Film & Video have held several workshops and professional development activities at the site, and a number of small film and student projects have used the space. Most recently the school was a venue for a film documenting the life of prominent African American scholar Dr. Anna Julia Cooper.
In 2011, the DC Film Office launched the Location of the Month to bring attention to the wide range of varied, cinematically compelling locations that are available to film and television productions. Former Location of the Month recipients include Kenilworth Park in Northeast, the Shaw neighborhood in Northwest, Kingman and Heritage Islands Park in Southeast, and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail in Southwest and Southeast.
To learn more about the Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives and to view photos, please visit the Location of the Month feature on our website. If you are interested in using Sumner School as a future filming location, please contact us at [email protected].