The Morse School:
1883 - 1974
The Morse School was built in 1883 to the designs of one or a collaboration of the many municipal architects and building designers then employed by the city. It is a classic eight-room school building, who’s plans were replicated two years later for the construction of the Wormley School in Georgetown.
Named after Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27th 1791 – April 2nd 1872), an American painter and inventor that is accredited to the invention of a single wire telegraph system, co-developer of Morse code, and the commercial use of telegraphy.
Originally an all-white elementary school that was later dedicated to children with special needs and in 1930 became a traditional elementary school specifically for the education of Black children.
Africare House:
1974 - 2020
After the closure of The Morse School, the building was gutted and renovated to later become the headquarters and event space for the international non-profit Africare. On October 8th, 1987, the Africare House opened its doors with wide support from the city.
Africare was founded 1970 by Dr. Joseph Kennedy and C. Payne Lucas as a leading non-governmental organization committed to addressing African development and policy issues by working in partnership with African people to build sustainable, healthy and productive communities. During its fifty years, it spearheaded over $2 billion in investment and development work throughout 38 African countries.
Recent Executive Director, Robert Mallet, reported that many critical meetings central to strategizing against the apartheid regime of South Africa, and attended by Nelson Mandela, took place within the walls of 440 R Street NW.
In 2020, Africare announced a planned sunset of US operations coinciding with the formation of an autonomous new Senegal headquartered entity named PanAfricare. PanAfricare will continue Africare' s legacy of implementing programs with a commitment towards 'improving lives and building futures' on the African continent. Africare concurrently also facilitated the formation of the "Friends of PanAfricare" non-profit entity which will support PanAfricare and other organizations with similar missions in sub-Saharan Africa.