North Street 2012 Update

Front entrance for The Senior Center of Leesburg

Previous post: Leesburg High School / North Street

   102 North Street is now "The Senior Center of Leesburg." Membership is open to 55 and up, but I checked it out for myself (after asking permission, of course). After gutting the whole building, they built what feels like a new building inside of an old one.

   The building also has a wing devoted to Loudoun County Library Administration, which they do not allow public entry into.

   To my delight, some LHS/LES alumni now go here. I briefly met a funny gentleman there who went to LHS in the 50's when it still taught all grades. He said one time he snuck out a window when the principal held him after school.

   A second gentleman I met gave me a tour around. He attended North Street in the late 50's. I asked him if he remembered anything about the Union Street School down the street. He didn't know anything. It's interesting how you can see each school from one another, yet there was little to no interaction between the children. That was how segregated it was.

   Senior citizens can be a delight to be around. One lady said to me, "You don't look like you're fifty-five!" I hope not.

   Now, for a look around:

Reception! It also doubles as the Center's Library

Rec Room

Hallway

Nice outdoor seating area

This can be divided into two rooms

Lounge

Hallway looking towards the Reception area

   (Rooms not pictured: Board Room, 2 fitness rooms (one with machines, the other empty for fitness classes), two art rooms, various offices, and a classroom.)

The Ballroom (which can be rented out for events)

   Along with all the new features, there are many nods to the building's history throughout. They saved the Proscenium Arch of the old stage in a hallway behind the ballroom.

   In the ceramics art room, there is a whole original chalkboard on display. It's now behind glass.

   Something I just noticed was they uncovered a window above the auditorium-now-ballroom doors.

July 2011

January 2012

   Also remaining is the historic entrance to the school. The concrete steps have been all patched up. The doors have long been out of operation and now have walls built around them on the inside. The doors' windows are the only windows that did not get replaced. 

Only the top right window piece was replaced to reflect its
historical look again.

   Before:

March 2009

   And let's not forget all the windows that now resemble the original windows!

   A lot of money and thought was poured into this facility, and it looks wonderful. I applaud everyone who helped North Street shine again.