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| Loudoun County High School. Lord Loudoun 1956 |
Written for Loudoun County High School's 60th anniversary
Established in 1954,
Loudoun County High School is aptly named. Not many schools can claim that
their history is as tightly intertwined with its county as “County” can.
Following periods of segregation, consolidation, integration, and expansion,
the school has evolved with its community. As its surrounding area has
transformed from farmlands to suburbs, countless renovations to keep the school
up-to-date have created a maze to the uninitiated. Yet the school has retained
its stately charm while providing an education to students for the past 60
years.
Nearly a half century
before Loudoun County High School was built, Loudoun County Public Schools
began offering secondary education in 1909. By 1916, there were 12 regional white
high schools (As Loudoun County was deeply rooted in the South, black students
were segregated into different schools. While a few high school level classes were
offered, black high school students would not have their own building until
Douglass High School in 1941) [1]. With the school system’s population hovering at 4,000
students but with over 100 schools, mostly one room schoolhouses, the state ordered
that Loudoun downsize [2]. The school system began a decades-long period of
consolidation. By the mid-1940’s, there were four white high schools left –
Aldie, Lincoln, Leesburg, and Lovettsville [3].
O.L. Emerick, the
superintendent of Loudoun schools, was not satisfied. He wanted all white high
school students under one roof. In 1947, he announced his idea for one
consolidated high school. In true Loudoun “I Byde My Time” fashion, the Board
of Supervisors stalled, debated, rejected, fought, and put off the vote. The
main issues were avoiding tax hikes and if the money would be better used to
build one school, two schools, or expand the four existing ones. The public was
invested in the debate as well, bringing posters and speaking at public hearings
for all sides. Finally, after a holiday break, the Board of Supervisors quietly
approved the plan for one school in Leesburg on March 1951 [4].
Although the School
Board had already chosen Leesburg as the location for the new school, groups
from Purcellville, Lovettsville, and Hamilton tried to challenge the decision
so the school could be built in their own town. They argued that Leesburg was
not the geographic center of the county, and properties in their towns could be
less expensive than the Leesburg property. The appeals were dismissed and the
English Construction Company was hired to build Loudoun County High School in
Leesburg [5].
“September 11, 1953, should be marked as the
greatest date in the history of Loudoun County.” That was spoken by James
Swart, a student of Aldie HS speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for
Loudoun County High School. The Board of Supervisors, School Board, and the
four high school principals and student bodies were all on hand. The honor of
the first shovel in the ground went to Emerick. Actual construction would start
on the 14th, giving the school exactly one year of construction
until its first day [6].
Construction of the
school was very important to Loudoun residents. Every milestone was written
about in the newspapers. When a lack of funds either meant finishing the
school’s auditorium or remodeling the courthouse, funds went to the auditorium.
Loudouners wanted a complete school; the courthouse could wait another year [7].
In the Spring of 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education. Superintendent Emerick was quoted to say: "My own thought is that this isn't going to affect what we do in Loudoun County schools during 1954-55. ... We won't do anything until we get a directive from the Federal court and some action on the state level" [8].
On September 14, 1954,
Loudoun County High School opened its doors to 979 students as the county’s
singular all-white high school. The Georgian-style school housed grades 8-12
(There were no middle schools at the time). At a cost of $1,170,745 [9], it was the
most expensive building project in the county ($9,658,370 in today’s money [10]),
and one of, if not the largest building built in the entire county. The
previous four high schools became elementary schools. George D. Grove and J.
Lupton Simpson were the high school’s first principal and vice-principal,
respectively [11]. The students chose their mascot to be the historic Mosby’s
Raiders, a famous local Civil War Confederate Cavalry unit [12].
The school opened –
incomplete. The school had the bare minimum of classrooms ready to open on
time, but the cafeteria, auditorium, and gym each opened at later dates. The
Front Lawn was just dirt, which became a muddy lake when it rained. Even the front
entryway columns had not been built yet; students had to enter through the side
entrances. By February of 1955, the school was finally complete [13]. A dedication
ceremony was held on February 19, 1955 [14]. The football field still would not be
built on campus until 1961. In the mean time, Fireman’s Field in Leesburg was
used [15].
Consolidation meant
LCHS could offer more specialized courses, such as Public Speaking, Economic
Geography, Art, French, and Diversified Occupations. For the students, one of
the most exciting new offerings was driver’s training, with a 1955 Custom Ford
V-8 sedan the school owned [16], although the most popular course was Typing [17].
LCHS was the singular white
high school in the county for only eight years. During that time, the student
population quickly outgrew the school, so much so that staircases in the school
had to be designated for “up” or “down” use only [18]. In 1962, Loudoun Valley High
School opened up to serve the students in the western half of the county. As
the only two white high schools in the county, an intense rivalry ensued.
Throughout the rest of
the 60’s, the fight over the desegregation of schools was reaching its climax. After completely resisting any form of integration in the 50's, the school system and county instead tried to delay integration for as long as
possible. As a way to slightly desegregate, the Virginia General Assembly instituted
the Freedom of Choice Plan, which let students choose to go to any school they
wanted to. Black students started attending LCHS as early as 1962. This went on
for a few years. Ultimately, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that, even with
this plan, a majority of blacks (and no whites) attended Loudoun’s black
schools, and the school system was still operating an illegal dual school
system. Loudoun schools were ordered to completely integrate by the 1967-1968
school year [19].
During this same
period, LCHS was facing overcrowded conditions again. The same year that Loudoun
Valley High School opened, the county’s first planned community Sterling Park
and Dulles International Airport opened up. The population started to grow from
the east. Mobile classrooms were brought to LCHS, and in 1966 the school’s
first expansion wing was built for vocational classes. It still wasn’t enough.
With LCHS bursting at the seams holding over 1,500 students, the school system
was in dire need of a third high school [20]. A year before the new school Broad Run
High School would open, 8th and 9th graders who would be
attending Broad Run had to be temporarily sent to the recently vacated Douglass
High School, renamed the Broad Run Annex Building [21]. When Broad Run opened in
1969, LCHS’s early life overcrowding finally subsided [22].
The 1970’s brought many
new changes to Loudoun County High School. In 1971, the school got its first
computer – the size of two classrooms [23]. In 1976, the school received its second
expansion, an auxiliary gym (now the wrestling room). That same year, the
opening of J. Lupton Simpson Middle School meant LCHS’s eighth grade students
moved from the high school to the middle school [24]. Vocational classes also left,
moving into the Charles S. Monroe Technology Center down the road. 1976 was
also the year of the United States’ Bicentennial. In honor of the occasion, a
time capsule was buried by the flagpole, set to be reopened a hundred years
later in 2076 [25].
Starting the 1978-79
school year, one controversy would pick at old racial wounds. Due to a
questionably severe sports attendance rule, a black senior was cut from the
basketball team. His father, thinking it
was due to racism, protested by chopping off the mascot logo’s flag on the
school sign with an ax. The logo had accurately depicted a Mosby Raider with a
Confederate Flag. The rule was deemed to be unfair and the student was allowed
to play again. However, the initial controversy transformed into one over changing
the mascot. The next school year, unhappiness over the administration’s
indecisiveness on what to do prompted 300 students to hold a sit-in in the
front foyer. 30-40 police officers were called to the school just in case
anything got out of hand. Principal Kenneth Culbert called the students for a
talk in the auditorium. After 90 minutes, everyone calmed down. It was later
agreed by a student advisory committee that the mascot’s flag should be changed.
A new flag design was chosen upon by the student body and became a new symbol
for the school [26].
In 1985, the cafeteria
kitchens were expanded. Ironically, a whole new cafeteria complex was added to
the school just six years later. The old cafeteria section became a band and
chorus wing, while their old shared classroom became the drama room. The new
cafeteria wing had classrooms on its second floor, yet they were not connected
to the school’s original second floor at the front of the school. Students
would often arrive to class late trying to travel from one second floor to the
other. About this same time, the school received its first air conditioning
units and elevators (one for each second floor section of the building) [27].
In a matter of years,
Loudoun County began its largest growth to date. The Dulles Toll Road and low
interest rates made the county the place to live in the Washington, DC area. More
students prompted the need for more space and schools. To increase its
capacity, temporary classroom trailers were sent to LCHS. In 1996, a new main
gym wing was built onto the school. The old main gym became the auxiliary gym [28]. In
2001, Heritage High School opened up as the second high school in Leesburg,
taking many of LCHS’s students. Heritage shortly became LCHS’s cross-town
rival.
On the evening of
January 22, 2002, two students set an assistant principal’s office on fire. The
fire gutted the main office, destroyed the school’s computer servers, and left
smoke and water damage throughout the building. The school was closed for the
rest of the week. Inrecon Insurance Reconstruction Company, the company that
had worked on the Pentagon after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack,
worked around the clock to get the school usable for students again. When the
school reopened, half of the front building’s first floor hallway was still closed
off for further work. There was over $2 million worth in damages [29] [30].
In 2004, the school
celebrated its 50th anniversary. Many commemorative events were
held. An instrumental, “Loudoun Praises,” was commissioned for the anniversary
and was played by the school’s band at graduation [31].
A year later, the
school underwent a $19.3 million two-year renovation. The main goal of the
renovation was to modernize the school to the standards of newly-built schools
across the county, yet preserve its iconic original features. The school as a
whole was refreshed and cleaned up, while many major changes were instituted as
well. A new auxiliary gym was built, the old auxiliary gym became the new
library, and the old library became new classrooms. The original back wings
were demolished for new Art and Math halls. The increased building capacity did
away with the need for the “temporary” trailers. The stadium traded out its
wooden bleachers for metal ones. The highlight of the renovation was a skywalk,
which linked the second floor wings together, easing traffic flow throughout
the school [32].
In 2009, a NJROTC
program was launched at the school, a first for any Loudoun school, drawing
students to LCHS from across the county. 2010 brought Tuscarora High School on
the northern border of Leesburg, taking more students from LCHS and becoming
another cross-town rival. In 2012, President Obama rented the school for a
campaign rally, the first presidential visit to any school in the county. In
2013, LCHS was awarded both the Signature
of Loudoun: Legends Award and the Student
Choice Award for its iconic architecture on the Loudoun landscape [33]. 2014 became the year
for sports, as the football field received an artificial turf field and new
bathroom facilities, while the inaugural class was chosen for the school’s newly
formed Athletic Hall of Fame.
Today, Loudoun County
High School holds its own in a school system of over 80 schools. It has evolved
and adapted with every generation of students, becoming a staple of its
community. It is truly the school of its people and its county. As the school proceeds
toward the future, it will continue to provide a safe learning environment
layered with years of tradition.
Oh, hail thy name, Loudoun High, our treasured Blue and Gold
We praise thy grace and dignity, thy glories to behold
We’ll ever more thy name adore, and honors to thee bring
And now to Loudoun High School, thy praises will we sing
Oh, Loudoun High, school adored, our Alma Mater dear
Fond memories of thee we’ll hold, our hearts and minds to cheer.
Enjoy other LCHS Articles from the same author:
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Sources
[1] Scheel, Eugene. "High Schools Once Flourished Across Area." The Washington Post [Washington, D.C.] 21 Sept. 2003, Final Edition ed., T.03. Print.
[2] Raflo, Frank. Within the Iron Gates: Stories Remembered 1925-1975. Leesburg, VA: Loudoun Times-Mirror, 1988. Print.
[3] Scheel, Eugene. Ibid.
[4] Raflo, Frank. Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] "School Officials Complete 'Spade Work' for High School Building." The Blue Ridge Herald [Purcellville, Va] 17 Sept. 1953. Print.
[7] "School Budget Must Be Increased." Loudoun Times Mirror [Leesburg] 1 Apr. 1954. Print.
[8] "Segregation Decision Won't Change County School Plans For 1954." Loudoun Times Mirror [Leesburg] 20 May 1954: 1. Print.
[9] "Opening Day Sees Some Busses Snarled." Loudoun Times Mirror [Leesburg] 16 Sept. 1954. Print.
[10] Friedman, Morgan. "The Inflation Calculator." Web.
[11] "School Board Appoints High School Principal." Loudoun Times Mirror [Leesburg] 11 Mar. 1954. Print.
[12] School History. Loudoun County High School: Student Handbook. Leesburg: Loudoun County High School SCA, C. 1975. Print.
[13] Ibid.
[14] "High School Dedication February 19." Loudoun Times Mirror [Leesburg] 20 Jan. 1955. Print.
[15] School History. Loudoun County High School: Student Handbook. Ibid.
[16] "Loudoun High's Driver-Training Car." Loudoun Times Mirror [Leesburg] 3 Feb. 1955. Print.
[17] "New School's Curriculum -- It's Amazing." Loudoun Times Mirror [Leesburg] 18 Mar. 1954. Print.
[18] Hatrick, Edgar. Interview by Javier Pierrend. Summer 2012.
[19] Exline, Matthew. "We Have Been Waiting Too Long," Civil Rights and the Death of Segregation in Loudoun County, Virginia. Thesis. Patrick Henry College, 2010. Print.
[20] School History. Loudoun County High School: Student Handbook. Ibid.
[21] "Our History." Douglass School. Loudoun County Public Schools. Web.
[22] School History. Loudoun County High School: Student Handbook. Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Lord Loudoun 1976 Yearbook. Vol. 22. 1976. Print.
[25] Time Capsule. May 1976. Plaque. LCHS Front Lawn, Leesburg, VA.
[26] Jelonek, A.J. "Loudoun County High School: Flag Controversy." My Summer with Loudoun Schools. Blogger, 15 May 2012. Web.
[27] Loudoun County High School Blueprints. N.d. On file in the Loudoun County Public Schools' Construction Department Office.
[28] Ibid.
[29] Helderman, Rosalind S., and Maria Glod. "2 Students Charged With Arson; Loudoun High Fire Cost $2 Million." The Washington Post [Washington, D.C.] 16 Feb. 2002, Final Edition ed., B01. Print.
[30] Lord Loudoun 2002 Yearbook. Vol. 48. 2002. Print.
[31] "Local Graduations." The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 27 June 2004. Web.
[32] Hayes Large Architects, LLP. 2008 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture: Loudoun County High School. Leesburg, VA. 2008. PDF.
[33] Morton, Margaret. "The Signatures of Loudoun: New & Old Recognized For Design Excellence." Leesburg Today, 7 June 2013. Web.
Other Sources:
Lord Loudoun LCHS Yearbooks 1955 - 2011
Microfilm newspapers at the Balch Library
Friends of the Thomas Balch Library Website
Blueprints from LCPS Construction Department Office
LCPS Annual Report LCPS History 2001/2002 by Wayde Byard
Common Local Knowledge
Alma Mater from Lord Loudoun 1955 Yearbook
