Middleburg - 100 years

   This past weekend was Middleburg Elementary School's 100 year anniversary celebration. While I was not able to attend, I am very proud and happy for this school. The LCPS website wrote a wonderful little article on the celebration (which you can view here [no longer available]). I'd recommend you check it out. It might just be my browser, but I wish I could make their picture slideshow bigger.

   I wish the school and the community that loves it another outstanding 100 years of education!

   On a different note, my university (Christopher Newport University) has been celebrating its 50th Anniversary this month as well.

  Here's another, this one favors history over pretty aerial shots.

Musing on 100 years

Round Hill School, 1940

Round Hill Center, Today

1911, Round Hill and Middleburg open. Now, 2011, they are turning 100. Middleburg is receiving a centennial celebration (Check it out). Round Hill has retired, now being used as a support building, so it's getting the shorter end of the stick with no celebration. To honor Round Hill, I would like to pose a question, how ever ridiculous or rhetorical it ends up to be.

After 1911, Round Hill recieved two additions, 1931, an auditorium, and 1963, a one story wing. In 1968, the 1911 original two story building was demolished for a new wing. Now, the oldest part of the school is the 1931 auditorium. Does this mean the school's still 100 years old?

There have been schools demolished (or burned down) and in the same space another school will spring up, but people say "The school's 1 year old," not "The school's 29 years old."

There seems to be a technicality. The Round Hill building was (probably) continuously opened. Schools that have burned down (I guess) are considered to be "closed," even though school might continue in a temporary location while they rebuild.

Another twist (I just found this out/put this together). In 1885, The Stove Pipe Academy opened in Middleburg in 1885. In 1911, on the same property, the four-room brick Middleburg School (at the time, it served all grades) was built. In 1927, the Stove Pipe Academy building was demolished for Middleburg's Auditorium expansion. The Academy and Middleburg were not touching, but they were very close. It is possible Middleburg used the Academy building when Middleburg was overcrowded (I don't have a confirmation on this). Yet Middleburg's first year is said to be as 1911. How does this fit in?

Just a musing.

Sources:
Blueprints
"Middleburg Elementary School Centenary Milestones"
CIPs
Round Hill School Yearbook 1940