Lincoln-Bell School

Ah, Capitol South. A name that teaches us a lot about the station’s position relative to the Capitol, but not much else. For instance, did you know that one of the first African American schools in D.C. once stood a couple blocks from the stop? In 1807, former slaves George Bell, Nicholas Franklin, and Moses Liverpool established the Bell School to educate some of the 494 free blacks in D.C. The Capitol Hill area was a popular spot for schools during the 19th century, and another African-American public school, the Lincoln School, was located at this same spot on 2nd St. S.E in the 1860s. It is likely, though not confirmed, that Bell and Lincoln were just different names for the same school.