Have you ever heard of the name James Wormley? If you haven’t, you are not alone. This pioneer in civil rights, who successfully campaigned for the right of African-American students to attend public schools, has largely been forgotten by the Georgetown community.

On Jan. 16, 1819, James Wormley was born into a free African-American family living in a small two-room building on E and 14th Streets. From these humble beginnings, Wormley defied the odds to become one of the most prominent 19th century entrepreneurs, opening both a successful restaurant and, in 1871, The Wormley Hotel in southwest D.C.

Wormley’s most significant contributions to the D.C. community, however, are not found in these remarkable business endeavors, but in D.C.’s political history and development. Wormley’s status among the business elite of Washington led to many successful political relationships with members of the Senate and the House (most notably with Senator Charles Sumner, a Republican from Massachusetts). A constant advocate for the African-American community, Wormley was able to use these connections to push for the expansion of the public education system, specifically in regards to equality in opportunity for African-American youth.

On July 21, 1871, Wormley co-authored legislation with his congressional friends that served as a resolution to install publicly funded African-American schools in the District of Columbia. Though Wormley died in 1884 before seeing the first school open, he will always be remembered as the father of public education in D.C.

This first school was accordingly named the Wormley School in honor of the late James Wormley. Located here in Georgetown on Prospect Street between 33rd and 34th Streets, the Wormley School became, in 1885, the first public school to educate African-American students. This iconic red brick building, which many of us walk past without a second glance, served as a beacon of hope and equality for the African-American community of D.C. for over a century.

In 1994, the school — at this point known as Wormley Elementary — closed, and in 1997 its 17,500,000-square-foot grounds were purchased by Georgetown University.

Originally planning to convert the building into more classrooms and offices, the university left the building virtually untouched for several years. The lack of maintenance left the property in a state of decay and ruin that prompted the University to sell it to Encore Development in 2005 for over $ 8 million.

Wormley Row, as the developers have now dubbed it, aims to be one of the most luxurious housing options in an already overpriced Georgetown. The school building itself will be turned into seven condominiums while the surrounding grounds and parking lot are refurbished into six townhouses; their prices currently range from $1,295,000 to $4,450,000. Sales of these residences began in April 2007 and will continue probably until the housing crisis is resolved and somebody can actually find a mortgage to pay for said residences. In sum, if you are interested, they will be on the market for a while.

Though this collection of residences is steadfast in its promise to retain the original appearance of the school, some in the community would like to see more homage paid to the man that made it all possible. The historical value of the property cannot be overlooked and its purpose not ignored. More recognition needs to be given to James Wormley and the Wormley School for their places in African-American history.