A national landmark located at D.C.’s Howard University is getting a massive $50 million makeover, school leaders announced Wednesday.
Built in 1913, Howard’s Myrtilla Miner Building along Georgia Avenue in Northwest D.C. served as one of the nation’s first schools for Black teachers.
But today, the interior of the building is drafty and crumbling. It has sat mostly vacant for decades.
“Today is a new beginning that speaks to the continued preparation of diverse teachers,” said Dawn Williams, dean of the Howard University School of Education.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Historically, the preparation of Black teachers back then was happening mostly for D.C. Public Schools,” Williams said. “Now, we have the opportunity to prepare educators and really serve the whole nation.”
Construction crews will be gutting and completely renovating the entire building. The project is expected to last until fall 2024.
Once the work is complete, the building will be home to the Howard University School of Education and the Howard University Middle School for Mathematics and Science, which is a public charter school in the District.
“It was built for the purpose of creating educators,” Williams said. “The opportunity for us to continue to do that and also align it with a middle school is something that is fairly unique.”
Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia are the only two schools in D.C. officially listed as “Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”
