Call for Memorabilia: Banneker Elementary School

Hello there! Quick update. Banneker Elementary, one of the county's older schools (opened 1948) and the only segregated Black school that still operates as a school in the county, is going through a seismic renovation right now. I will cover its history and these current events in a later post. In the meantime, they have placed a call for historical items to help preserve the school and community's legacy. This includes photos, stories, artifacts, documents, and other ephemera, especially during the school's segregated period (1948-1968). I'm posting the two-page flyer below.

If you have any items and would like to help out, please contact bannekerrenovation@lcps.org or (571) 252-1161.

More information on the renovation can be found HERE. Details on the Lending Agreement can by found HERE.

Recent Reads: "Dirt Don't Burn: A Black Community's Struggle for Educational Equality Under Segregation"

I read a new-to-me book, Dirt Don't Burn: A Black Community's Struggle for Educational Equality Under Segregation, by Barry Harrelson and Larry Roeder. It came out last year, and it's all about education in Loudoun County, so it is the perfect thing to talk about here!

Dirt Don't Burn chronicles Black education in Loudoun County from the Civil War to the late 1960's, when the school system was forced to desegregate. It doesn't just cover education itself, but also the many facets that need to be met in order to have a thriving learning environment: health/sanitation, heating, nutrition, transportation, administration, funding, and teacher education. It also sheds light on the many sung and unsung heroes who championed the fight for better Black education, as well as the work, petitions, letters, and organizing those individuals accomplished.

This book was created by the Edwin Washington Project, a non-profit dedicated to documenting the impact of segregated education in Loudoun. They've done some fantastic work uncovering and preserving stories, data, and history that really hasn't been public knowledge. And this book demonstrates that. The Edwin Washington Project is a subsidiary of the Edwin Washington Society, which was created to foster non-partisan conversations about the value of diversity in modern society, usually with a history/preservation focus.

Back to the book. The book's emphasis is on Black education, but in order to truly explain the dichotomy between the separate education systems in Loudoun, white education also has to be defined, so it really is an overview of both. There is lots to glean from its pages, especially in the early years of public education in the county. This is a thorough book of information that explains the intricacies of Loudoun's early public education system and how it grew. I understand their scope was just covering segregation, but I wish their coverage of events continued beyond that point. While de jure segregation was put to an end, there are still areas of de facto segregation.

The Edwin Washington Society has said they have more books planned, so I look forward to seeing what they publish next. In the meantime, add Dirt Don't Burn to your reading list!

Dirt Don't Burn can be bought online in multiple places. It also is available at select bookstores around Loudoun County. I happened to find one at the Very Virginia Shop in Downtown Leesburg, and it turned out to be an autographed copy! Just goes to show, it never hurts to shop local! 

A Call to Change the LCHS Mascot

Today, Deirdre Dillon (LCHS Class of 2009) and I (LCHS Class of 2010) have begun a petition to change Loudoun County High School’s mascot. Here is what the petition says:

 

We, the undersigned, call for the Loudoun County High School mascot to be changed.

In 1954, the segregated white Loudoun County High School student body chose Mosby’s Raiders as the school’s mascot. Mosby’s Raiders were the 43^rd Battalion of the Virginia Calvary for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Like confederate monuments, choosing the Raiders as the mascot was a result of the Lost Cause Movement to commemorate the South and rewrite history.

A mascot gives a community an identity, and glorifies its chosen entity. As long as Loudoun County High School’s mascot is known as “Mosby’s Raiders” or simply “The Raiders,” no matter what positive traits come with the association, the school will be promoting slavery, the Confederacy, racism, and white supremacy. These are values we believe future generations of students should not uphold.

We, the undersigned alumni, students, teachers, parents, and concerned citizens, believe that Loudoun County High School can do better. We challenge the current student body and staff to reevaluate the mascot, and change it to better reflect the 21^st century in which we live.

 

Let’s talk about being a Raider.

The Raiders mascot is everywhere in the school. From morning announcements “Good morning, Raiders and Raiderettes!” to murals on the walls. From the names of the athletic teams, to the student spirit section Raider Riot. Raider Rally, Raider Rhapsody, the Marching Raiders, it’s even the name of the student newspaper, The Loudoun Raider. This mascot has joined thousands of students together across decades. There is pride in meeting a stranger and finding out they are a fellow Raider.

As the decades have passed since 1954, Loudoun County has changed. Our schools and movie theaters are integrated. Major suburban growth has brought new people from all different backgrounds to Loudoun County. Yet the oldest high school in operation still proudly cheers on the Confederacy, whether intentional or not.

Today, I take a stand and say no longer. I do not want to celebrate and glorify the Raiders anymore. It is time for a new Loudoun County High School mascot. I call for this in honor of Gene Ashton and Blue Oliver.

This resolution was not an easy one for me to reach. I have identified as a Raider for over a decade now. I’m proud to be a student of Loudoun County High School. I’m passionate about it. I wrote a history of the school for its 60^th anniversary. I somehow inspired the restoration of an original school architectural feature that mysteriously disappeared in the 1970’s. One day, I’m even going to nominate the school to be on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history and layers of tradition mean a lot to me. So for a long time, I hemmed and hawed about the elephant in the room – the mascot, the Raiders. I knew as a student what it was and what it stood for.

But as time has passed, it has become clear to me that my personal feelings are not what matters. In my sentimentality, I have been complicit in letting this mascot define me and future students. No matter how simplified the name is, the original intent was Mosby’s Raiders. It will always be a symbol of slavery, of white supremacy, of racism.

I have been proud to be a Raider. I would be even more proud if we could retire the Raider, and become something with less-racist baggage.

So, I personally challenge the student body of Loudoun County High School: You are the current owners of our spirit and school. You have a deciding voice in this matter. What does it mean to be a Raider? And what does it mean to be a student of Loudoun County High School? Are these two things the same? Or is it time to find a new mascot that better reflects us?

I want to leave you with a quote by my fellow LCHS classmate Christian Williams. She wrote this while attending Harvard Law in 2015 in reference to changing their school’s shield. I feel these views can also apply to the Raider:

“Advocating to change a symbol does not indicate a lack of love for our school. Quite the opposite; we push for change precisely because we do care - because we are invested in the school and desire its best.
It may seem trivial to push for a symbol to be changed. It may even seem overwhelming because so many symbols in our nation glorify terrible things. But to me, there is a simple rationale: “when we know better, we do better”. While the ubiquity of slavery symbols in America is deeply disturbing, it should not be surprising. The repercussions of slavery marred every aspect of American life. Moving to change these symbols now does not deny affection to our school. Rather, it affirms it. In doing so, we refuse to pass on symbols of oppression to our children. We take the time we have been given, and we use it to make things right.”

  

 Disclaimers: 
    - I am a white cis-gendered male. I recognize there are far too many white cis-gendered male voices involved in issues of race. My hope and intent is that by adding my voice to the mix, I help to create a positive change in race equality.
    -This act should not be seen as a be-all, end-all for racial justice reform. Rather, it is but one visible spoke in a wheel. The more spokes we take out, the closer we are to a more just and equal community.

Union Street School Sees Possible Re-Use

Union Street School in Leesburg, Virginia

I love preservation and the re-use of sites. I also love the Union Street School in Leesburg.

So when I read in the LoudounNow that Alumni May Revive Former Union Street School, I got very, very excited.

I hope they are successful, it's a beautiful site that needs some love.



See & Read my Adventure into the Union Street School Here

Loudoun County High School: A History

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 14^th, 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, 8^th and 9^th 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 50^th 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:

Loudoun County High School: Flag Controversy

Loudoun County High School: Decorative Wooden Urns
Obama at LCHS Recap
LCHS: Columns
LCHS: Murals

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

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

Gertrude Alexander

   Some would consider Loudoun County Public Schools to be a very progressive school system. While other organizations have only recently put females and minorities in seats of power, LCPS had a black and female superintendent in the late 30's.

   In 1939, Gertrude Alexander was put to the post as Superintendent in LCPS. But how is this possible right in the middle of both segregation and Superintendent Oscar Emerick's term (1917-1957)? Simple. She was superintendent of the African American side of the school system.

   According to this Balch Friends article, she was the person who recommended that all the smaller groups calling for a new black school join together under the County Wide League. Under the League, blacks finally got a non-firetrap high school building, Douglass High School (1941).

   She also invited Charles Houston to Loudoun to speak to the African American community for the first time. (I will properly cite this when I get back from vacation. Apologies). Houston, a famous lawyer, was also very instrumental in pushing for Douglass High School.

   Not much is known about Gertrude. No one at Balch Library can even find a picture of her. I don't know when her term ended or how did her superintendent position relate to Emerick's. This has just been an interesting nugget for you to chew on.

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.]

Union Street School

What do you call a school with at least six different names?

Let's count the ways:
Loudoun Training School
Leesburg Training School
Loudoun County High School
Douglass Elementary School
Loudoun County Training School
Leesburg Industrial School

   I myself have given it a few more nicknames, calling it The white Black School on Union Street, or just plain Union Street.
   It's a headache, so say the least. (For this blog's purposes, I'm going to call it Union Street)

   Welcome to Union Street. In 1962, a brick admin building was built on the property, but before that, it was the site of Leesburg's black school. Let's first walk around the site.

The one story wing was built at a later date, I don't know when.

Only the windows on the front aren't boarded up.

The backyard, sporting great views of the cemetery

   Union Street was built approximately 1884. A Training School (as one of its names) was a derogatory term applied to black schools, saying it wasn't really a school but a training school, not in the same league as a white school. It was Loudoun's only black school that taught secondary education when it began offering the level in the 1910's (which is probably around the time it received the name Loudoun County High School. How does it compare with the originally white-only Loudoun County High School of 1954?)

   The building had no indoor bathrooms. There was an outhouse (now demolished). There was no cafeteria, no auditorium, and no library. It housed five classrooms. Its school equipment, especially for science, was lacking. The school was also a death trap.

"...the window opening on the fire escape does not even have sash cords, and the oil soaked floor and open oil drum under the steps leading to the second floor constitute a veritable death trap in case of fire."
                                      - Charles H. Houston letter to Superintendent Emerick, 3/16/1940

   The parents pushed and pushed for a new school. When Douglass HS opened in 1941, the high school students moved out...but the elementary school students stayed. Union Street was renamed Douglass ES. The conditions did not improve. In 1958, when the new Douglass ES was built, this facility finally closed as a school.

   For a few years, it was used by the National Guard, during which time toilets were installed in the basement. I don't know when they moved out or much about what Union Street was used for afterwards. Currently, the building is mostly empty, being used for a little bit of storage.

   One of my goals this summer working here was to get into this building. And it happened! Would you like to take a look inside?

Look! Electricity! It has life!

The Basement bathroom

Storage of old things

It was surprisingly clean in this room

Old Lights

   On the second floor:

A close-up on the door: "A little shove will do it"

   And, the lovely staircase:

   I like it. It's sad to see it like this. I wish a use could be found for this. It's sort of away from the epicenter of downtown Leesburg, so it's not in the best spot in the world (plus, it's next to the cemetery, that's always a bonus, right?). It would need a big renovation if it was ever to be used publicly again. I know what I'd do with it. Why not turn it into a LCPS history museum and offices? Blue sky idea, but it's historic enough and it doesn't have to be big.

   In 2003 during a school board meeting, it was recommended to give future consideration to Union Street in a "lease agreement to the County of Loudoun or Town of Leesburg for governmental/historic use." I don't know what was said or what actions were taken; or it is possible nothing happened, that it was forgotten about. The building sits.

   Geraline Johnson (a Union Street teacher who is still alive) said in a recent interview about Douglass ES (1958) that she would like if the building was used like the Second Street one-room schoolhouse in Waterford, a place where children could learn how school used to be and about segregation. Unlike one room schoolhouses, Union Street has five rooms, which could give it multiple uses.

   So if you have a couple of million of dollars to spare...
What would you do with Union Street?


Sources:
Geraline J Johnson interview (2011) for Frederick Douglass ES
Douglass HS 50th Anniversary booklet (1991)
"Piedmont Stories: Leesburg Teacher's Career Spanned Two Eras" from the Washington Post, 9/20/2009
"High Schools Once Flourished Across Area"  - Eugene Scheel, Washington Post, 9/21/2003
Charles H. Houston letter to Superintendent Emerick, 3/16/1940

A special thank you to Sara Howard O'Brien!!

Monday Memories - Douglass High School 1965

This week, I'm going to Douglass High School's 1965 yearbook, "The Ram."

I wish the stage was still able to be used like this.
(It's now converted into classrooms)

Here's a close-up on my favorite candid/caption

   Douglass opened in 1941 as a segregated black high school. It closed in 1968 with the school system integrating. Since then, Douglass has served many purposes for the school system. In the 1970's, a deal was worked out to share Douglass between LCPS and Parks & Rec. Douglass continues to be used today.

Sources:
Douglass School