[1] The Simmons Colored School has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999, for the architecture and contributions to Black history.

[1] In 1891, the school was renamed for William J. Simmons (1849–1890) shortly after his death, a Black Baptist clergyman, educator, and author who was formerly enslaved.

[1] Architect Ittner designed the school to be two-stories high with a removable wooden roof to facilitate the addition of another five-room story.

[1] In the mid-1930s, of the 21 accredited institutions of higher learning located in St. Louis, only Stowe Teachers College and the Homer G. Phillips School of Nursing admitted African Americans.

[3][4] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.