Museum Directory

Abiel Smith School

About Abiel Smith School

Abiel Smith School, founded in 1835, is a school located at 46 Joy Street in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, adjacent to the African Meeting House. It is named for Abiel Smith, a white philanthropist who left money (an estimated $4,000) in his will to the city of Boston for the education of black children.

The city constructed the school building with Smith's funds. Designed by Richard Upjohn as his first public project, this was the first public school for free black people. In 1835, all black children in Boston were assigned to the Smith school, which replaced a basement school in the African Meeting House next door. It is a part of the Beacon Hill Historic District (a National Historic Landmark District), a site on the Boston Black Heritage Trail, and is part of the Boston African American National Historic Site.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

African-American museum
Founded
1835

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Photos of Abiel Smith School

  1. Abiel Smith School, Massachusetts01MassachusettsTim Pierce · Public domain
  2. African American School02African American SchoolSwampyank at en.wikipedia · Public domain
  3. Atlas of the city of Boston - city proper - plate03Atlas of the city of Boston - city proper - plateNorman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL · CC BY 2.0
  4. The Abiel Smith School is a site along the Black Heritage Trail and a site of segregated education for African American (4ae4fe08-0306-4dc1-b058-f2a1c6f2a708)04Is a site along the Black Heritage Trail and a site of segregated education for African American (4ae4fe08--4dc1-b058-f2a1c6f2a708)NPS Photo · Public domain
  5. Abiel Smith School05Abiel Smith Schoolajay_suresh · CC BY 4.0

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Nearby museums

Make a day of it. 4 more museums are within a mile of Abiel Smith School; the closest, Museum of African American History, is practically next door.