The Trafalgar Alumni Association has nominated Trafalgar High School as a national heritage site both in terms of the physical building and the institution. The public consultation process for this nomination, which is being run by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), started on 9 November 2022 with a closing date of 6 January 2023. The Association is appealing to all former students, teachers, and residents, who have a link to the school or to District Six, and who wishes to express their support for the nomination to do by writing to Heidi Weldon at hweldon@sahra.org.za and Keenan Africa at kafrica@sahra.org.za using 'Support for Trafalgar High School' in the subject line, or by clicking on the following this link.

Trafalgar High School is the oldest state high school for people of colour in the country having been established through the efforts of Dr Abdurahman in the early part of the previous century. It opened its doors on 22 January 1912  to learners for the first time. Dr Abdurahman who was the President of the African People’s Organisation and a councillor convinced the City Council to donate a building on the corner of Chapel and Nelson streets in District Six. Further space was provided by the Anglican Church across the road. As the infrastructure was poor and crumbling, Dr Abdurahman convinced the council to provide funding for the current structure about five years later. The City Council was persuaded to donate a site, and the Cape School Board voted £3000, for the erection of a new building, which is where Trafalgar High stands today in 'Coblestone' (Birchington) Street in District Six.

It was built as a single storey complex comprising classrooms to cater for the small cohort of students (60 students and five teachers). As the school’s status and appeal in the community grew, so did the physical features of the building. Added to its footprint were two-storey extensions to the front and side, a standalone building at its rear and the school hall along the side.

The building has a unique design in that it has two entrances, via steps, to the school building. Each archway style entrance has inlaid stone marking showing its designation for BOYS and GIRLS. In between, these two entrances, at ground level, are the classes fondly referred to as “the dungeons”.  Because the school was built on a significant slope – essentially the lower slopes of Table Mountain – the architects made use of the space beneath the building to convert it into classrooms. Bordering the school are distinctive stonework pillars anchoring the fence.