Arcola White
Opening and Closing
Our impression is that there were two Arcola schools, one was built in 1909 and was closed in 1939. That building was sold on 22 July 1939 to Wm. Byrnes. for $560. Source: EWP 8.1 Loudoun County School Budget for Fiscal Year starting July 1, 1940, Pg 15a.
According to hand notes on photo of second building (above), the picture was taken August 24 just after construction, 1939. “4 room elementary school at Arcola, Va. Just Completed. Cost $31,000. Built with Public Works Administration (PWA) grant of #13,940 and a Literary Loan of $17,050.”
Second building was closed 1965
Physical and Map Location
41740 Tall Cedars Pkwy, Aldie, VA 20105. The lot in 2024 consits of 11 acres of county-owned property in conjunction with 20 acre parcel across the street.
Petitions
Dec 13, 1948. See 2.5B. In addition to wanting an addition teacher to handle "retarded" children discussed in the history section, requested the building of an auditorium, a larger kitchen and one additional classroom. Petition complained that the kitchen was inadequate for hot lunches, also no place for inside exercise. Petition appears to have been led by Mrs. Mary E. Hemsley of Sterling. ttended Penn State Normal. (See petition section). Hemsley was considered an outstanding educator by the Carter community, where she began her career in Loudoun. Later she became Principal at the Arcola school."
1950's Undated. Parents thanked Mrs. Elise Wilson, teacher in the first grade of Arcola for the work she did.
1955 June. Around thirty parents of the 4th grade complemented Mrs. Knight for their work in the 4th grade and requested that she instruct for the fifth grade in 1955/56 school year. 9 parents were opposed to the memo.,
Transportation
For the 1909 building, many children carried their lunches in gallon karo syrup pails. Students walked to school. Some who lived far away rode horse and tied them up during the day. The horses were tied up during the day in a shed located north of the school build.
Source 2014 Reunion for Arcola Elementary School, found in vertical files, Edwin Washington Society Research Center.
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/31103 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
- See "Arcola Elementary School: Reunjion 2014" in vertical files, Edwin Washington Research Center, Douglass HS Building, Leesburg.
- Flag was flown from a flag pole.
- For the 1909 building, lunches were brought from home and many children carried th eir lunches in gallon karo syrup pails. Students walked to school. Some who lived far away rode horse and tied them up during the day.
- Baseball was played on a diamond on the east end of the property.
- 1919/1920. Accordng to 6.6 Arcola, records for 1919/20 were lost.
- Term Reports for both schools are in Arcola White 1924/25 to 1969 in EWP 6.3.2 Box 4.
- September, 1939. Former Governor Westmoreland Davis gave a dedication address and an American flag as a personal gift. Source: Loudoun Times Mirror: Sept 7, 1939, pg. 1.
- Dec 13, 1948. See 2.5B. Parents wants to hire new teacher so that "retarded or handicapped children" can be removed from the normal classes and instructed in the hall instead. The rationale was that "they are definitely retarding the other children of the four grades."
- Feb 1950. The school board approved a $65,000 loan for addition to Arcola.
- 1970's reopend as the Arcola Community Center.
- 2013 added to the National Register of Historica Places.
- October 11. 2023. The abandoned school lot received a new life by a vote of the Board of Supervisors when it decided that the property should be deveoloped for affordable housing. The project will permit the construction of 228 residential units 14 single family detavhed homes, 81 townhouses, and 133 apartment. The school house will be remodled to acomodate nine residences, and a 4 story apartment building, which will be erected behin the school housel was approved 7-1-1. Supervisor Umstattd of Leesburg was opposed and Tony Buffngton of Blude Ridge was absent. Source Loudoun Now. 26 October 2023. Article by Normal K. Styer.
Instructors
- Date unknown: Dorothy Rollins
- Dates unknown: Mrs Carter, who drove down from her home in Aldie.
- 1957/58 Wildon (Weldon) P. Reeves Principal
- An alhabetical list of teachers from 1939 to 1969 is provided in the 2014 Arcola Reunion Brochure, Vertical Files, Edwin Washington Research Center.
Insurance and Physical Description
The 1909 structure was a one room frame schjool, built at a cost of $800. A photo graph of the school and itrs water pump can be found in the 2014 Reunion book for Arcola Elementarty School. A of 2014, the pump was still working. School was made of wood, with a porch. No windows on N or W sides. Large windows on the south side, a cloak room, large stove for heat, blackboards, desks and a large desk for the teacher. The toilet was outdoors
According to the 2014 Reunion booklet, the consoliateds chool was a four room structuyre.