Place

First Public School Site

Boston National Historical Park

Photograph of a mosaic set in a sidewalk depicting a schoolhouse and other education elements.
Mosaic set in the sidewalk marking the first location of Boston's Latin School

Arlan Fonseca

Quick Facts
Location:
School Street, Boston
Significance:
First Public School in the American Colonies
Designation:
Freedom Trail Site

A statue of Benjamin Franklin overlooks the first site of the Latin School, the oldest public school in America. Franklin, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock all attended the Latin School. Puritan settlers built the first schoolhouse on this location in 1635. A mosaic in the sidewalk commemorates the site of the school.

First Public School
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First Public School

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Site of the first public school in the American colonies, a site along Boston's Freedom Trail.

Last updated: January 8, 2025