 |
| Arcola Elementary School (1939) in 2017 |
On the way to a wedding-eve rehearsal for one of my dear friends, I drove through the community of Arcola. Spying the backside of the 1970's Arcola Elementary School from the road, it reminded me that I hadn't visited its predecessor in a while. So I made a detour on my way home to the 1939 Arcola Elementary School.
Although Arcola is still vacant and its future still uncertain, its situation is a lot better. In 2013, with permission and support from Loudoun County's Board of Supervisors, the school became listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is the third school in Loudoun to receive its own listing, the other two being the 1940 Douglass School in Leesburg and the 1913 Lucketts School in Lucketts. These things aren't handed out willy-nilly around here! (Some other schools are a part of Register-recognized Historic Districts) (Loudoun has 87 listings in total currently) (Anyway, I digress)
The Board again discussed in 2014 what to do with the school, and the community rallied the Board against considering a demolition option. For the next two years, the Board looked for a private-public partnership to reuse the school. The Windy Hill Foundation proposed converting the building into affordable living apartments. While the plan had a lot of community support, the Board axed the plan. The property sits close to Dulles Airport's runways and is in a future runway flight plan, so the Board has avoided putting residential properties in this area due to noise. Other factors, such as the Foundation's finances for the project, changing the property's zoning, how much of the school building would be preserved, and the increased residential density the project would create led the Board to reject the plan. So Arcola is still empty, but safe for now.
Arcola is still owned by Loudoun County Government, used as overflow storage for County General Services Administration.
The Board again discussed in 2014 what to do with the school, and the community rallied the Board against considering a demolition option. For the next two years, the Board looked for a private-public partnership to reuse the school. The Windy Hill Foundation proposed converting the building into affordable living apartments. While the plan had a lot of community support, the Board axed the plan. The property sits close to Dulles Airport's runways and is in a future runway flight plan, so the Board has avoided putting residential properties in this area due to noise. Other factors, such as the Foundation's finances for the project, changing the property's zoning, how much of the school building would be preserved, and the increased residential density the project would create led the Board to reject the plan. So Arcola is still empty, but safe for now.
Arcola is still owned by Loudoun County Government, used as overflow storage for County General Services Administration.
 |
| Arcola Elementary School (1939) in 2017 |
I had a little trouble finding the school. Its address is officially listed at 24244 Gum Spring Road. The school is more accurately on Stone Springs Boulevard, disconnected from Gum Spring Road to the south. I believe I ran into this exact problem in 2011. There's a lot of development happening in the area, so I wouldn't find it hard to imagine the Boulevard was part of the Road in the past, but then construction necessitated that they split up.
 |
| Official address at Arcola. Google swears it's spelled "Gum Spring," this sign is the only place that says "Gumsprings" |
The school's windows have been boarded up since I last visited. With the grass cut and the working lights around the grounds, the property feels very secure and taken care of.
The fields and playground out back look like they are still available for use. The basketball court had a pile of dirt on its surface, I don't know what was going on there.
Arcola has weathered its vacancy well on the exterior. The roof appears fine. There's a light amount of paint flaking off. I only found one rotting wood location:
 |
| View from Arcola's front doors |
 |
| Backside of Arcola (1939) in 2017 |
The fields and playground out back look like they are still available for use. The basketball court had a pile of dirt on its surface, I don't know what was going on there.
 |
| Baseball field behind Arcola School |
Arcola has weathered its vacancy well on the exterior. The roof appears fine. There's a light amount of paint flaking off. I only found one rotting wood location:
 |
| Wood rot |
 |
| Arcola's Colonial Revival architectural details |
With similar timelines, it's interesting to watch Arcola and Sterling Annex's stories unfold. Both former schools, both former community centers, and now both vacant. Both schools were rated as not worth renovating by county inspectors, yet still remain with everyone scratching their heads as to what to do with them.
If I had to choose which one I thought would survive (if one does)... While I think Sterling is slightly more attractive and is located in a more economically-viable area (relatively), I think Arcola will remain. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places is definitely a plus. Sterling could also seek nomination to be on the Register, but no one has stepped up. And there is the key difference between the schools: active community support. For years now, Arcola School supporters have rallied for its survival. This support is mentioned in many newspaper articles and in the school's Register write-up. I haven't read about that same kind of support in articles about Sterling. Arcola will survive because its community mandates that it will.
I typically look at Loudoun's motto "I Byde My Time" as a bad one, an acknowledgement that change/progress will take longer than expected here. In these instances, more time might be all these schools need to find their next use. As always, I wish both of them luck.
If I had to choose which one I thought would survive (if one does)... While I think Sterling is slightly more attractive and is located in a more economically-viable area (relatively), I think Arcola will remain. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places is definitely a plus. Sterling could also seek nomination to be on the Register, but no one has stepped up. And there is the key difference between the schools: active community support. For years now, Arcola School supporters have rallied for its survival. This support is mentioned in many newspaper articles and in the school's Register write-up. I haven't read about that same kind of support in articles about Sterling. Arcola will survive because its community mandates that it will.
I typically look at Loudoun's motto "I Byde My Time" as a bad one, an acknowledgement that change/progress will take longer than expected here. In these instances, more time might be all these schools need to find their next use. As always, I wish both of them luck.
Sources Used:
Supervisors to vote on Old Arcola School Wednesday
The Old Arcola School, a National Historic Site, may be converted into apartments
The Old Arcola School, a National Historic Site, may be converted into apartments
Loudoun Board: No Homes at Old Arcola School
Read other Arcola School Posts:
The Three Schools of Arcola (2011)
Arcola School - 2019 Update
Read other Arcola School Posts:
The Three Schools of Arcola (2011)
Arcola School - 2019 Update
No comments:
Post a Comment