A Brief History of Truxton Circle

Commodore Thomas Truxtun

Truxton Circle was named after Revolutionary War commodore Thomas Truxtun (1755-1822), whose estate was later granted to the District. Until 1940, Truxton Circle was located at the intersection of Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street. It linked Shaw, Bloomingdale, Eckington and the Northwest and Northeast sections of the

Dunbar High School (1916-1977) in its original location on First Street, between N and O Streets NW.

District.

The area traditionally known as the Truxton Circle neighborhood of Shaw, lies between Florida Avenue on the North and New York Avenue on the South, and between North Capitol Street on the East and New Jersey Avenue on the West. Truxton Circle's rich history is due, in part, to the influential educational institutions within its boundaries. Truxton Circle is home to Dunbar High School, Armstrong Manual Training School, the Langston School, and the Cook School.

Dunbar High School was founded in 1870 and was the first all-black public High School in the United States. Armstrong was built in 1912 and has the very special honor of being the high school Duke Ellington attended.

Currently, the District Department of Transportation is considering rebuilding this historic circle as part of a larger transportation project involving North Capitol Street.

Truxton Circle. Lincoln Road can be seen near the top center.