Douglass High School (Leesburg, Virginia)
Douglass High School was built in 1941 in what was then a rural area just outside Leesburg, Virginia as the first high school for African-American students in Loudoun County. The school was built on land purchased by the black community and donated to the county. It was the only high school for African-American students until the end of segregation in Loudoun County in 1968.
Douglass High School | |
 Douglass High School, August 2008 | |
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| Location | 408 E. Market St., Leesburg, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°06′34.6″N 77°33′17.47″W |
| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1941 |
| Built by | Taylor Manufacturing Co. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001274[1] |
| VLR No. | 253-0070 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 24, 1992 |
| Designated VLR | October 8, 1991[2] |
Description
Douglass High School is a one-story brick building, originally of 9,400 square feet (870 m2). The plan is centered on a commons area that functioned as a gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium, flanked by two classrooms on either side. Large windows light and ventilate the spaces. A large stage area is directly opposite the main entrance, which opens directly into the commons area from a vestibule. Classrooms were added on the rear of the building, followed by a gymnasium in 1960. A vocational wing lies to the west.[3]
History
Until 1941, the only secondary educational facility available to African-American students in Loudoun County was the upper level of the Loudoun County Training School. The frame structure offered a limited curriculum in an unsafe building. During the late 1930s the black community in Loudoun County organized fundraiser events to purchase 8 acres (3.2 ha) of land on the east side of Leesburg from W.S. Gibbons. The property was conveyed to Loudoun County for $1 on December 16, 1940. After threats of legal action, the school board approved a measure to borrow $30,000 from the State Literary Fund of Virginia to build the school. A bid from the Taylor Manufacturing Company of Farmville, Virginia was approved for $35,438. The school opened in September 1941. The school was named for African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass at the request of the community organizers. Since a bare minimum of furnishings were provided by the county, more private donations were sought to more fully furnish the school. With desegregation in 1968 the building became a middle school, then a special education and alternative school.[3]
Douglass High School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 24, 1992.[1]
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- Cox, Teckla; Calderon, Richard (August 30, 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Douglass High School" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
