The Daniel Webster School is located on the southeast corner of 10th and H Street NW. It was abandoned 20 years ago, but, like a lot of downtown, might be gearing up for a comeback.
The building was constructed in 1882 as a public school for white students and stands as one of the last remaining examples of the city’s classic post-Civil War brick-style schools.
In the '20s, it was an Americanization school that prepped D.C. residents for their U.S. citizenship tests. In the years since, it’s also housed the Girls’ Rehabilitation Program, which catered to single and pregnant teens, special education classes, and school administrative offices.
Daniel Webster School has been shuttered for two decades. (DC Historic Sites)
The building has been shuttered for 20 years and has fallen into disrepair. That’s why D.C. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton has introduced a bill to compel the federal government to sell it by 2025. Norton hopes the sale could help revitalize real estate downtown, which has continued to suffer after the pandemic.
The building sits at the heart of the central business district and has a walkability score through the roof according to Norton.
