U Street Corridor in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Saint Augustine Catholic Church and School
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 12, 2025
1. Saint Augustine Catholic Church and School Marker
Mother church of Black Catholics in the nation's capital | Founded in 1858
Erected by Saint Augustine Catholic Church and School.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 38° 55.105′ N, 77° 2.061′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in U Street Corridor. It is on 15th Street Northwest just north of V Street Northwest, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1419 V St NW, Washington DC 20009, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church (a few steps from this marker); Meridian Hill Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Northumberland Apartments (about 400 feet away); A Shared Neighborhood (about 500 feet away); Mary Ann Shadd Cary Residence (about 500 feet away); Mary Ann Shadd Cary House (about 500 feet away); Buchanan (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Also see . . .
1. Our History - Since 1858 (St. Augustine Catholic Church site).
This
this page online
Saint Augustine Parish traces its heritage to 1858 and the efforts of a group of dedicated emancipated Black Catholics. Faced with a society that was not yet willing to put off the last vestiges of slavery and a Church that, at best, tolerated the presence of Black people in its congregation, these men and women founded a Catholic school and chapel on 15th Street under the patronage of Blessed Martin de Porres. In what is perhaps a touch of historical irony, this school was operating four years before mandatory free public education of Black children became law in the Nations Capital.
In 1961, St. Augustine's was merged with the historically white parish St. Paul's, whose membership was dwindling. In 1979, Saints Paul and Augustine parish moved from the historic location of St. Augustine's at 15th and S to the prior location of St. Paul's at 15th and V Streets. In 1982, the merged parish's name was shortened to St. Augustine's. As of 2025, St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church remains active in the historic St. Paul's church building. (Submitted on November 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
2. St. Augustine Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.) - Wikipedia article.
Because of Jim Crow laws in the 1850s, emancipated black Catholic attendees of St. Matthew's(Submitted on November 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)Cathedral on Rhode Island Avenue were segregated and relegated to worship in the basement of the church.
In 1858, the group of emancipated black Catholics founded Saint Martin de Porres Church, in honor of Peruvian Dominican brother St Martin de Porres. It was the first Black Catholic parish in Washington, D.C., and its original location was on 15th Street NW, near L Street.
That same year, the parish opened a school for Black children in the districtinaugurated five years before the Emancipation Proclamation, after which education of Black children gradually became mandatory.
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, July 24, 2016
3. Stained glass from Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church
You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 126 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on July 24, 2016, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia.
