Myrtilla Miner Building
Myrtilla Miner Building
Renovating the Historic Myrtilla Miner Building
The Myrtilla Miner Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its significant role in Black education in Washington, D.C. Located on Howard University’s central campus, the building was purchased by Howard University in 1997 and has partially housed offices for the Howard University School of Education staff. The building will undergo major renovations as part of Howard University’s initial $785 million investment to accelerate its Central Campus Master Plan (CCMP), in support of the Howard Forward 2024 Strategic Plan. The renovated Miner Building will be a shared space that supports interdisciplinary teaching and learning between the Howard University School of Education and the Howard University School of Mathematics and Science.
Additional Information
History of Myrtilla Miner Building
The Miner Building was originally constructed in 1913. The building was designed by Washington architect, Leon E. Dessez, under the supervision of Municipal Architect Snowden Ashford and named for Miss Myrtilla Miner (1815-1864), an educator who fought for the rights of Black teachers and students. The program was a major source of teachers and administrators for the segregated public schools in Washington, D.C. and other southern communities. There was a notably robust community of abolitionists and advocates for educational equality i.e., Johns Hopkins who was a philanthropic supporter of the Normal School. The Miner Building was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. This building housed the literal genesis of Black K-12 educators in Washington, D.C. The connection and acknowledgement of this history and legacy is part of what makes the redevelopment program unique.
Building Details
The Miner Building was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. This building housed the literal genesis of Black K-12 educators in Washington, D.C. The connection and acknowledgment of this history and legacy are part of what makes the redevelopment program unique.
FAQs
- Will traffic patterns or parking, on or off campus, in Miner’s vicinity be affected?
- The development team and general contractor will do all they can to minimize impact on traffic patterns and parking. As any construction project there will be regular deliveries onsite inclusive of dumpsters trucks, don johns trucks, material deliveries etc. They will schedule all trucks to operate within the DC approved hours of 7AM – 7PM. They will also file for a traffic control plan for the duration of the project, and implement constraints when absolutely needed, such as:
- During tie-ins to utilities in the street
- Maintenance of turning radiuses for trucks entering and exiting the site
- Safety precautions deemed necessary for example crane picks if needed. etc.
- The development team and general contractor will do all they can to minimize impact on traffic patterns and parking. As any construction project there will be regular deliveries onsite inclusive of dumpsters trucks, don johns trucks, material deliveries etc. They will schedule all trucks to operate within the DC approved hours of 7AM – 7PM. They will also file for a traffic control plan for the duration of the project, and implement constraints when absolutely needed, such as:
- What offices or functions will be relocated from Miner and where will they go during project?
- The Miner Building is currently vacant
- Will renovations create any health or environmental concerns for those on campus (such as asbestos removal? Dust? Deafening jackhammers?)
- The general contractor will maintain all OSHA required health precautions to ensure minimal to zero exposure to harmful construction dust and debris
- Will renovations be performed during daytime weekday hours only?
- The general contractor will schedule work Monday-Friday from 7AM-7PM per dc regulations. Unless acceleration and or escalation is required for completion by the projected substantial completion date