Abiel Smith School

About

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.

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