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Mapping Every School-to-Home Conversion in Washington, D.C.

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In Washington, D.C. there are roughly 21 schoolhouses built between 1865 and 1930 that are either vacant or dilapidated, while approximately 25 schoolhouses have been adaptively reused into housing, homeless shelters, community centers, a gym, and more.

The reason why there is such a large number of old school buildings in Washington, D.C. is partially because of segregation and changing demographics, reported The Washington Post in an article published in 2004. After slavery in Washington, D.C. was abolished in 1862, a special levy was imposed to pay for new schools and land to build new schools in order to accommodate the influx of African American students, according to an essay written by Gabriela P. Harris in the spring of 2008.

After the 1960s, there was a decrease in school enrollment in the District at the same time that the school system struggled to maintain and find new uses for surplus school properties. By the 1990s, Washington, D.C. was forced to sell its surplus property or close any unused facilities in order to lessen the burden of the city's budget crisis. Because of this timeline, a majority of the schools mapped below were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and were converted into housing in the early to mid-2000s.

In her essay, Harris wrote that there were D.C. residents who were displeased with the sales of the schools due to them being built with public funds. According to her, "It was, they felt, a disservice to the residents of the District to sell the schools for profit instead of using the space for community activities or low income housing."

Below, you will be able to see all of the schoolhouses in Washington, D.C. that have been converted into housing, from the Pierce School to the Phillips School. In comparison to Curbed's previous map of schoolhouse-to-home conversions published in April 2014, this article will give more context on the history of each property. If there was a school that was left out, be sure to let us know by leaving a comment or emailing our tipline.
[UPDATE 11/18: Franklin School added.]


· Harris, Gabriela P. "Historic Schools in Washington, D.C.: Preserving A Rich Heritage." University of Maryland, College Park. Spring 2008.
· Dennis, Kristen A. Capitol Hill Converted. United States: Xlibris Corporation, 2008. Print.
· UPDATED: Mapping D.C.'s School To Home Conversions [Curbed DC]
· Turning Public Schools Into Private Homes [The Washington Post]

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Parker Flats

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Built c. 1904, this 92-unit condo development was once a schoolhouse known as the Gage School and served the residential area surrounding North Capitol Street NW. The redevelopment of the property concluded in 2007. Some of the amenities in this development include a fitness room, enclosed courtyard, and underground parking.

Wormley Row Condominiums

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The Wormley School in Georgetown was built in 1885 and was renovated in 2008 by Encore Custom Homes. In 2012, the second phase of the redevelopment featured the inclusion of townhomes. The property features a total of seven condos and six townhomes.

Edmonds School

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When the Edmonds School was built in c. 1903, it served the white community in Capitol Hill. After closing in the 1990s, the property was later occupied by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. In 2014, the schoolhouse was converted into a 24-unit condo building. Each of the units feature 14-inch custom base moldings, stainless steel appliances, and ceilings that can reach 16-feet-high. [Photo via R. Lopez]

Randall School

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This former junior high school was once used as a makeshift homeless shelter. Washington Business Journal reported that Telesis and the Rubells acquired the Randall School site for $6.5 million from the Corcoran College of Art and Design in 2010. In 2013, the owners planned to convert the development into a mixed-use project with 443,833-square-feet of residential space with affordable housing and 550 total units, 23,303-square-feet of retail space, and 32,707-square-feet of institutional/municipal space for an art museum, according to the Project Pipeline Database. No progress has been made since 2014, and the project's status in the Project Pipeline Database is "awarded."

Logan School Condos

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In c. 1891, this schoolhouse served the black community in Capitol Hill. After a second school was built on the other side of Third Street NE in the 1930s, the Logan School was considered surplus. The American Rescue Workers acquired the building in the 1970s to use the property as a shelter before developer Bob Herrema purchased the building in 1985 in order to convert it into 24 condos. Schwartz & Peoples Architects received the Mayor's Architectural Design Award for their designs. This school was named after John Alexander Logan, who served as an Army Officer during the Mexican American War and Civil War. He later served as an Illinois Congressman and Senator, participated in the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson, and unsuccessfully ran for Vice President of the U.S., according to Kristen A. Dennis in her publication, Capitol Hill Converted.

Bryan School Lofts

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Before the Bryan School Lofts featured swanky condos with 16-foot-high ceilings and outdoor "entertaining rooms," it served the Capitol Hill community as the Thomas Barbour Bryan Elementary School. This 1906-built school served the white community and was run solely by women. D.C.-based Abdo Development converted the historic landmark into 20 condos in 2004. Before the conversion, the property was vacant for roughly 20 years. Some of the property's historic features can be seen with the double staircases and exposed brick inside. You can see what condos in the property look like here.

Lenox School Lofts

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Since 2004, this condo building has offered 14 pet-friendly condos within walking distance to Eastern Market Metro station. When it was built in c. 1889, the Walter Lenox Elementary School served the white community and was a vocational school between 1914 to 1931. The school was named after Walter Lenox, a Yale-educated attorney who was Mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1850 to 1852. While in office, he was known for giving great attention to the public school system, according to Kristen A. Dennis's Capitol Hill Converted.

Carbery School Lofts

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Like many of the schoolhouses listed on this map, this historic building was built in c. 1887 by the Office of the Building Inspector. The building stopped functioning as a school in 1949 when it was turned into a warehouse. Robert Herrema purchased the property in the 1980s and converted it into 23 condos.

Lovejoy Lofts

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This three-story Capitol Hill elementary school was converted into 54 one- and two-bedroom condos in 2004. Some of the amenities include private parking and units that are pre-wired for cable. The 1901-built school was named after Elijah P. Lovejoy, an educator, minister, and publisher of abolitionist newspapers, called The Alton Observer and St. Louis Observer. According to Kristen E. Dennis in Capitol Hill Converted, Lovejoy died in 1837 while defending his printing press from pro-slavery activists. The elementary school served the black population.

Berret School Lofts

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This former Logan Circle schoolhouse was built in c. 1889 and was converted into 12 condos across the development's three stories. The school was named after James Gabriel Berret, the 18th mayor of Washington, D.C. He also served on the inauguration committees of three U.S. Presidents, including Buchanan, Lincoln, and Cleveland. The architect of the building was Albert H. Harris, who designed a myriad of other schools in Washington, D.C., such as the Adams Elementary School.

Morgan Annex Lofts

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Since 1993, this Adams Morgan development has housed 15 loft-style condos. Some of the luxurious amenities include bathrooms with heated floors, private rooftops, and oversized windows. The development was built in c. 1899.

Syphax Village

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When this building was a schoolhouse, it was known as the William Syphax School, named after a trustee for Washington, D.C. and Georgetown schools in the late 1800s who was an early proponent for integrated schools. William Syphax was also responsible for the construction of the Charles Sumner School and the Thaddeus Stevens School. This school on Half Street SW served the African American population after it was built in c. 1901. In the early 1990s, the school closed before being converted into condos in 2005.

Pierce School Lofts

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This building was named in honor of U.S. President Franklin Pierce and was erected in c. 1894 for the white community. In the 1940s, the school shifted, serving the African American community due to changing demographics. Before the property was converted, it was a haven for drug users and dog fights after it ceased operating as a school in the 1970s, according to The Washington Post. In the 1990s, the property served as a homeless center. It opened as a 10-unit apartment building in 2004.

Phillips School

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The Phillips School was constructed in c. 1890 and was converted into 10 condos in 2002. The facade of the building still retains much of its schoolhouse qualities, but inside, the condos offer luxurious amenities like heated bathroom floors and private landscaped patios. Take a look inside one of the units here.

The Eckington School

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The Eckington School was built in c. 1897 and sold at auction in 1981. While the school sign remains on the property, the development is used as a condo building.

Gales School

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Central Union Mission moved into the city-owned Gales School after renovations were complete on the building in 2013. Formerly known as the Joseph Gales, Jr. School, the property was built c. 1881 and was named after Joseph Gales, Jr., Washington, D.C.'s eighth mayor. Gales was also a journalist in the mid-19th century who became the sole proprietor of the triweekly journal, National Intelligence.

1252 Maryland Avenue NE

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From the 1940s to the 1960s, this Capitol Hill row house served as the Washington Junior College of Music and Education. In the 1970s, it was converted back into a residence with five bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. The listing was built in c. 1893 by Appleton Prentiss Clark Jr., whose previous works included the Embassy of Syria and the U.S. Civil Service Commission Building. It is currently on the market for $1.895 million, decreased from when it was listed in July 2015 for $2.25 million.

Franklin School

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Georgetown University hopes to redevelop the vacant Franklin School into a center for music and performing arts. The school was built in 1869 and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1996 because of its significance as the site where Alexander Graham Bell sent the first wireless communication. The property has been used as a homeless shelter and a site for an Occupy D.C. protest. Prior plans for the property were to convert it into an art museum, called the Institute for Contemporary Expression, but D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser canceled those plans in February 2015.

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Parker Flats

Built c. 1904, this 92-unit condo development was once a schoolhouse known as the Gage School and served the residential area surrounding North Capitol Street NW. The redevelopment of the property concluded in 2007. Some of the amenities in this development include a fitness room, enclosed courtyard, and underground parking.

Wormley Row Condominiums

The Wormley School in Georgetown was built in 1885 and was renovated in 2008 by Encore Custom Homes. In 2012, the second phase of the redevelopment featured the inclusion of townhomes. The property features a total of seven condos and six townhomes.

Edmonds School

When the Edmonds School was built in c. 1903, it served the white community in Capitol Hill. After closing in the 1990s, the property was later occupied by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. In 2014, the schoolhouse was converted into a 24-unit condo building. Each of the units feature 14-inch custom base moldings, stainless steel appliances, and ceilings that can reach 16-feet-high. [Photo via R. Lopez]

Randall School

This former junior high school was once used as a makeshift homeless shelter. Washington Business Journal reported that Telesis and the Rubells acquired the Randall School site for $6.5 million from the Corcoran College of Art and Design in 2010. In 2013, the owners planned to convert the development into a mixed-use project with 443,833-square-feet of residential space with affordable housing and 550 total units, 23,303-square-feet of retail space, and 32,707-square-feet of institutional/municipal space for an art museum, according to the Project Pipeline Database. No progress has been made since 2014, and the project's status in the Project Pipeline Database is "awarded."

Logan School Condos

In c. 1891, this schoolhouse served the black community in Capitol Hill. After a second school was built on the other side of Third Street NE in the 1930s, the Logan School was considered surplus. The American Rescue Workers acquired the building in the 1970s to use the property as a shelter before developer Bob Herrema purchased the building in 1985 in order to convert it into 24 condos. Schwartz & Peoples Architects received the Mayor's Architectural Design Award for their designs. This school was named after John Alexander Logan, who served as an Army Officer during the Mexican American War and Civil War. He later served as an Illinois Congressman and Senator, participated in the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson, and unsuccessfully ran for Vice President of the U.S., according to Kristen A. Dennis in her publication, Capitol Hill Converted.

Bryan School Lofts

Before the Bryan School Lofts featured swanky condos with 16-foot-high ceilings and outdoor "entertaining rooms," it served the Capitol Hill community as the Thomas Barbour Bryan Elementary School. This 1906-built school served the white community and was run solely by women. D.C.-based Abdo Development converted the historic landmark into 20 condos in 2004. Before the conversion, the property was vacant for roughly 20 years. Some of the property's historic features can be seen with the double staircases and exposed brick inside. You can see what condos in the property look like here.

Lenox School Lofts

Since 2004, this condo building has offered 14 pet-friendly condos within walking distance to Eastern Market Metro station. When it was built in c. 1889, the Walter Lenox Elementary School served the white community and was a vocational school between 1914 to 1931. The school was named after Walter Lenox, a Yale-educated attorney who was Mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1850 to 1852. While in office, he was known for giving great attention to the public school system, according to Kristen A. Dennis's Capitol Hill Converted.

Carbery School Lofts

Like many of the schoolhouses listed on this map, this historic building was built in c. 1887 by the Office of the Building Inspector. The building stopped functioning as a school in 1949 when it was turned into a warehouse. Robert Herrema purchased the property in the 1980s and converted it into 23 condos.

Lovejoy Lofts

This three-story Capitol Hill elementary school was converted into 54 one- and two-bedroom condos in 2004. Some of the amenities include private parking and units that are pre-wired for cable. The 1901-built school was named after Elijah P. Lovejoy, an educator, minister, and publisher of abolitionist newspapers, called The Alton Observer and St. Louis Observer. According to Kristen E. Dennis in Capitol Hill Converted, Lovejoy died in 1837 while defending his printing press from pro-slavery activists. The elementary school served the black population.

Berret School Lofts

This former Logan Circle schoolhouse was built in c. 1889 and was converted into 12 condos across the development's three stories. The school was named after James Gabriel Berret, the 18th mayor of Washington, D.C. He also served on the inauguration committees of three U.S. Presidents, including Buchanan, Lincoln, and Cleveland. The architect of the building was Albert H. Harris, who designed a myriad of other schools in Washington, D.C., such as the Adams Elementary School.

Morgan Annex Lofts

Since 1993, this Adams Morgan development has housed 15 loft-style condos. Some of the luxurious amenities include bathrooms with heated floors, private rooftops, and oversized windows. The development was built in c. 1899.

Syphax Village

When this building was a schoolhouse, it was known as the William Syphax School, named after a trustee for Washington, D.C. and Georgetown schools in the late 1800s who was an early proponent for integrated schools. William Syphax was also responsible for the construction of the Charles Sumner School and the Thaddeus Stevens School. This school on Half Street SW served the African American population after it was built in c. 1901. In the early 1990s, the school closed before being converted into condos in 2005.

Pierce School Lofts

This building was named in honor of U.S. President Franklin Pierce and was erected in c. 1894 for the white community. In the 1940s, the school shifted, serving the African American community due to changing demographics. Before the property was converted, it was a haven for drug users and dog fights after it ceased operating as a school in the 1970s, according to The Washington Post. In the 1990s, the property served as a homeless center. It opened as a 10-unit apartment building in 2004.

Phillips School

The Phillips School was constructed in c. 1890 and was converted into 10 condos in 2002. The facade of the building still retains much of its schoolhouse qualities, but inside, the condos offer luxurious amenities like heated bathroom floors and private landscaped patios. Take a look inside one of the units here.

The Eckington School

The Eckington School was built in c. 1897 and sold at auction in 1981. While the school sign remains on the property, the development is used as a condo building.

Gales School

Central Union Mission moved into the city-owned Gales School after renovations were complete on the building in 2013. Formerly known as the Joseph Gales, Jr. School, the property was built c. 1881 and was named after Joseph Gales, Jr., Washington, D.C.'s eighth mayor. Gales was also a journalist in the mid-19th century who became the sole proprietor of the triweekly journal, National Intelligence.

1252 Maryland Avenue NE

From the 1940s to the 1960s, this Capitol Hill row house served as the Washington Junior College of Music and Education. In the 1970s, it was converted back into a residence with five bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. The listing was built in c. 1893 by Appleton Prentiss Clark Jr., whose previous works included the Embassy of Syria and the U.S. Civil Service Commission Building. It is currently on the market for $1.895 million, decreased from when it was listed in July 2015 for $2.25 million.

Franklin School

Georgetown University hopes to redevelop the vacant Franklin School into a center for music and performing arts. The school was built in 1869 and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1996 because of its significance as the site where Alexander Graham Bell sent the first wireless communication. The property has been used as a homeless shelter and a site for an Occupy D.C. protest. Prior plans for the property were to convert it into an art museum, called the Institute for Contemporary Expression, but D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser canceled those plans in February 2015.