Abiel Smith School

The Abiel Smith School in Boston is a historic school building on Joy Street, built in 1835 as the city's first public school for free Black children. It is named after the white philanthropist Abiel Smith, who left funds in his will for the education of Black children. The design was by Richard Upjohn, for whom this was the first public project. The school replaced a program previously housed in the basement of the neighboring African Meeting House and served as the central educational institution for the African American community on the north slope of Beacon Hill.

The construction of the building was the result of years of effort by African American parents, who had been fighting for adequate schooling since the late 18th century. Despite the new facility, conditions often remained worse than in the white schools, which led to political disputes. An important milestone was the school's closing in 1855, at the same time that segregation in Boston's schools was abolished, after parents had temporarily withdrawn their children.

Today the landmarked building is part of the Beacon Hill Historic District and the Boston African American National Historic Site. Since a renovation in 2000, it has housed, among other things, the administrative offices of the Museum of African American History. As a stop on the Boston Black Heritage Trail, it gives visitors the chance to trace the history of African American education and the struggle for equality in Boston.