Allder School (White)
Opening and Closing
1873/4 - 1911
Physical and Map Location
According to an insurance policy with the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County, a one-story frame schoolhouse, 24x36x12 ft, with a shingle roof, was built in 1874 near the farm owned and occupied by James Alder. Known as School House No 7. From collection archived by Library of Virginia
According to our colleague, Joanna Garber Miller, it was used as a tenant house for the Norman Farm (located on Route 711 (Alder School Road) between Rts. 690 (Mountain Road) and 611 (Purcellville Road)). This comes from the memory of Mrs. Miller's late grandfather H. Ralph Fields, Sr. "The former Allder School was on the bend in the road as indicated by the yellow circle below. In addition, we learned from Mrs. Miller that the structure was one room deep and two stories tall. The first level of the exterior was stone and the upper level of either white clapboard or plaster." Research by Joanna Garber Miller, 10/331/2022. According to renowned historian Eugene Scheel, "all the children of the crossroads, the area midway between Hamilton and Purcellville, attended Allder, about two miles NW across the fields. It was built on the land of James W. Allder. This was also a school attended by Oscar Emerick and his brothers. Emerick was Superintendent from 1917 to 1957. They often talked about Miss Bessie Davis at Allder, who eventually married Nathaniel Heaton, editor (1908-1919) of Purcellville's first newspaper, the Blue Ridge News. "In those days, a teacher was expected to come to the home of each student - at the parent's request - for a get-acquainted tea, and the Emericks often had her over." See Loudoun Discovered, Volume 4, pg 57.
"45 years ago, there were three vibrant dairy farms on this stretch of road between Routes 690/ Hillsboro Road and Route 611/ Purcellville Road. Center Field Farm ( now site of Woodgrove HS and Mtn. View Elementary) belonged to my late grandparents, H. Ralph and Lucille Fields. This was my childhood home until my family moved from VA in 1977.
The next farm is Chestnut Knoll Farm, now a development. It was owned by Howard D. & Louise Iden Sprague. Their daughter, Jean Sprague Fleming, still lives on Route 711. Mrs. Fleming's daughter lives in Hamilton and is my best childhood friend. Across the road from Chestnut Knoll Farm was Longmoor Farm, owned by Edward & Isabel Norman.
The land which was once home to these beautiful farms has been so reconfigured for development it is unrecognizable." Research by Joanna Garber Miller, 12/29/2020.
"I rode a donkey to Allder Children’s house, North of Purcellville for Montessori school. She would wait patiently tied to the fence until morning session was over and bring me right home as well." Luke Greer. 5/5/2020.
Petitions
Transportation
Walking was a common method of school transportation even before the creation of Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). It’s believed that students who lived within 3 miles of a school could walk from their home to school. The figure at https://edwinwashingtonproject.org/s/ewp/item/31101 shows the location of the school with a circle representing the area from which students could have walked, back and forth from their home to the school. Travel by horse was also used and could have extended the travel distance.
History
Allder school became a tenant house until 1976 when a Montessori achool was opened at Allder called the Alder Children's Home. See history by Gene Scheel in Loudoun Discovered.
Instructors
Insurance and Physical Description
According to an insurance policy with the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Loudoun County, a one-story frame schoolhouse, 24x36x12 ft, with a shingle roof, was built in 1874 near the farm owned and occupied by James Alder. Known as School House No 7. From collection archived by Library of Virginia. The first level of the exterior was stone and the upper level of either white clapboard or plaster.
Additional Photos
Allder Deed
