Before the construction of the Frostburg State University campus, a vibrant African American neighborhood known as Brownsville stood near this spot, extending from Oak Street to Park Avenue. Its name and spirit emerged in the late 19th century largely through the courage and dedication of Ms. Tamer Brown, a formerly enslaved laundress who acquired land here in 1866 and became a leading force in establishing the Lincoln School and creating John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church. Brownsville grew into a vital cultural hub for African American families living on and near the future university campus, but between 1927 and 1962 the State of Maryland forced many owners to sell their properties for the campus's incremental expansion, displacing Brownsville residents, organizations, and businesses, and its memory faded in the years that followed. Frostburg State University now includes Brownsville and its founder in the university's heritage in Western Maryland, recognizes the families whose properties were purchased by the state to allow the university to grow, and honors Brownsville residents who served in the United States Colored Troops during the U.S. Civil War.