A Year Ago Today... Douglass Demo

   Today marks the anniversary of the start of demolition on Douglass Support Facility, the former 1958 elementary school. It took less than three weeks demolishing the walls, sorting metals, and ripping out the foundations of the old building. Thanks to LCPS's commitment to the environment, about 90% of the school was able to be recycled.

Now, a year later, the new Frederick Douglass Elementary is on its way toward its August opening date. It's amazing how drastically this property has changed so quickly. It used to be full of thick vegetation, almost hiding the small school building from the road. Now, it's all been cleared away, and the new building is very visible. Most of the the old school's footprint is now under the new school. A year ago, a little creek ran through the property. Now, the creek funnels through an underground tunnel until it reaches the end of the property. Hills have been bulldozed and stone walls have been built for extra space on the property. Space is tight, so every square foot is being used to its highest potential.


Last night, I made a quick stop outside the school to get some photos. It's almost ready!

A peek inside the front doors

Looking from the entrance. Past the parking lot is the sports field

I hope this new school will be worthy of its predecessor's name. It's been an exciting project to watch.

Recent Reads: "We Have Been Waiting Too Long"

Lord Loudoun 1966, LCHS Yearbook

   I don't know why I didn't stumble on this sooner. At Balch Library is a wonderful dissertation by Matthew Exline, a History Major at Patrick Henry College. It's full title is " "We Have Been Waiting Too Long," Civil Rights and the Death of Segregation in Loudoun County, Virginia."

   To rephrase the title, it covers the Civil Rights Movement in Loudoun County from 1917 to 1969.

   Just a forewarning: There are many sources out there already available, and I have not seen everything out there. That being said, I thought it was one of the best. The dissertation is the most complete journey of the county's civil rights movement I have read. With others, I got brief overall. This explained all the twists and turns, giving details on various struggles.

   The segregation of schools was a main part of Loudoun County's segregation. This dissertation devotes two out of its five chapters on the schools. Other chapters go over desegregating Purcellville Public Library, restaurants in Leesburg and Middleburg, and desegregation of recreational places in Leesburg.

   My favorite line: "Such crises usually involved Douglass High School, which was apparently in perpetual need of urgent attention." Poor Douglass!

   It even ends with a message about how "Even though the events may be partly forgotten, that does not mean that all the wounds are healed or all the wrongs have been righted." I think this is true at times. It did say that LCPS was the only branch that has admitted its previous wrongdoings. And LCPS will continue to again in the LCPS History Video we are working on.


   "We Have Been Waiting Too Long" is currently available at Balch Library. Balch is connected to the main Loudoun County Public Library System, so you can reserve the book from your closest library branch as well.

[Update 2020: Matthew Exline has now released this as a book! It is titled "We Have Been Waiting Too Long: The Struggle Against Racial Segregation in Loudoun County, Virginia." You can find copies to purchase here.]

Frederick Douglass Elementary School Update

As promised, I came home for Thanksgiving and did a walk-around of the Douglass ES property. Here's what it looks like now:

WOAH! There's a whole new building!

Half picture of school, half ad for Porta Potties!

This is where the sports field will go

The view from Plaza Street

Above, they are moving the stream underground. This was the stream from this summer:

Now back to the present:

I even found a little bit of the old Douglass!

LCPS Construction Dept. has a powerpoint online to view the monthly progress of all of their current build projects. Here is the one for FDES.


Other Douglass ES articles from this site:
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
Douglass Demo Mid-July Update

Douglass Demo Update

There it is. Or, I should say, there it isn't. Douglass Elementary is no more. The foundations and the garage are still in the back, but it is officially gone. Now the race can start for the new Douglass, opening in one year. Site work has already started in the property surrounding the old school. Get ready for an exciting year!

Frederick Douglass Elementary School

   In Loudoun County, it's more likely to see a school go up than go down. For the last few weeks, construction crews have been demolishing the Douglass Support Facility, formally known as Douglass Elementary School. It was a small school. Basically, the layout was one long bending hallway with a Multi-purpose room jutting out.

   Douglass Elementary opened in 1958 as a segregated black school, four years after Brown vs. Board of Education. The previous Leesburg black elementary school was built in the 1880's and wasn't in the best condition nor up to then-contemporary standards (It's still on Union Street, but I'll get back to that in another post soon). Douglass desegregated the 1968-1969 school year, along with the rest of the county schools, and operated until 1982. Since then, it's been a support facility used by LCPS.

   Loudoun County's school population continues to grow, averaging about 2,800 more students each year. One of the growing areas, Leesburg, needed a new elementary school. With most support offices now located in other buildings, Douglass's prime location made it a viable option to build a new school on the property. Another factor is the property is already owned by LCPS, so they could save money not buying land parcels.

  As LCPS tradition, the new school will be named after its predecessor as Frederick Douglass Elementary School. It will be the second 2-story prototype elementary school in the county. It opens Fall 2012. Get ready for a new school in one year!


   The previous picture was taken on June 30th, on Day 2 of demolition. Below, the next three were taken on July 6, Day 5 (They don't work weekends/holidays). It would usually take a shorter time to demo a building of that size, but they're sorting out the different materials in order to make the demolition process as green as possible.

Here's two from a visit today, almost gone

And here's some pictures I took last summer of the building.

   On February 8th, the Loudoun County Government website sent out on LCPS's behalf a news release "calling upon Loudoun’s citizens for any historical documents, pictures, or memorabilia that could be used to preserve the legacy of the Frederick Douglass Elementary School. "  Now, the deadline has passed, but the school system is still accepting items!! Please send stuff in if you have anything (I have).

Sources:

Desegregation in Loudoun County Public Schools, 1954-1970

LCPS CIPs

New Elementary School is Set to Be Built on Historic Site

(Here is an extra. I'm not going to post any interior demo shots, but that person has posted one. If you're curious, enjoy!)