Crispus Attucks High School ( also known as Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School ) of the Indianapolis Public Schools in Indianapolis , in the U.S. state of Indiana is named for Crispus Attucks ( c. 1723 – March 5 , 1770 ) , an American patriot killed during what became known as the Boston Massacre . The school was built near Indiana Avenue ( the business and cultural hub of the city ’s African American community ) northwest of downtown Indianapolis and opened on September 12 , 1927 , when it was the only public high school in the city designated specifically for African Americans . Despite the passage of federal and state school desegregation laws , Attucks was the city 's only high school with a single-race student body in 1953 , largely due to residential segregation , and remained a segregated school until in 1971 ( although some historians suggested that it occurred in 1968 ) . Attucks was converted to a junior high school in 1986 , due to declining enrollment , and a middle school in 1993 . It became a medical magnet high school in 2006 , partially due to the school 's proximity to the campus of the Indiana University School of Medicine and its associated hospitals . The red-brick building with terra-cotta and limestone detailing covers a two-square-block area and was built in three phases . A three-story main building , designed by local architects Merritt Harrison and Llewellyn A. Turnock , was constructed in 1927 . A three-story addition and a two-story gymnasium were built in 1938 . A newer , two-story gymnasium was constructed in 1966 . The main building and the 1938 addition reflect Collegiate Gothic ( or Tudor Revival ) and Classical Revival styles of architecture . The high school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 . During its early years , Attucks was known for its excellent in academics , in addition to its successful athletic teams , especially its basketball program . The high school also became a gathering place and a source of pride for the city 's African American community . In 1955 the Attucks Tigers won the Indiana High School Athletic Association 's state basketball championship , becoming the first all-black school in the nation to win a state title . In 1956 the team became first state champions in IHSAA history to complete a season undefeated since the state basketball tournament began in 1911 . Attucks also won the IHSAA state basketball championship in 1959 , and in 2017 was the IHSAA ’s Class 3-A basketball champion
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre
Crispus Attucks High School