Kavanaugh and Royhill Colored
Kavanaugh and Royhill (Broad Run)
Redited 8/18/2023
Opening and Closing
TBD
Physical Location and Map Locations
TBD: (Royville Colored School #3), Broad Run District of Loudoun County, south of Brambleton. No exact location is known.
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/31173 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
Link to Preliminary History Kavanaugh and Royhill, list of instructors, physical description, and other information.
History developed by Balch Library
“The Balch Library Collection contains one public school register for the Kavanaugh Colored School #E, located in the Broad Run Magisterial District of Loudoun County, south of Brambleton. The first part of the register covers the years 1886-1891; Harvey Johnson (b. 1858), a Black resident of Loudoun County, was the teacher during these years. The register includes lists of students and their attendance records, as well as end-of-term statistics and lists of subjects taught. The second part of the register covers the years 1898-1899. During that time, the school was called Royville Colored School #3. While it was usual to identify colored schools with a letter, this school was designated by the number 3 for some time. It is unclear whether Royville and Kavanaugh were run in the same building, but they served the same community of Blacks in Loudoun County. The teacher of Royville Colored School was John H. H. Bush (b. 1870), another Black from Loudoun County.“
- Source: “A Guide to the Teacher's Register for Virginia Public Schools, Broad Run Magisterial District, Kavanaugh Colored School #E, 1886-1899,” Balch Library.
Instructors
Sept 25, 1886 April 3, 1891: Harvey Johnson. As of 11/16/2014, we have yet to determine exactly who Mr. Johnson was. We did find someone of that name in the Federal Census for Broad Run in Loudoun County who was a farm laborer, which is certainly possible, working farms as well as teaching. This will be the subject of more research. This particular Harvey Johnson eventually boarded with the Allen family of Conklin who figured so prominently in that town's African-American story. 1891-1898: No records Jan 28, 1898
1900: John H.H. Rush. As of 11/16/2014, we have yet to determine exactly who Mr. Johnson was.
Insurance and Physical Description
09/1886 – 04/1887. Kavanaugh: Appears that Mr. Johnson's son Harvey may have been a student in 1886 The structure was rented by the school district and was a one room school house, heated by stove. There were six desks in the building and one stove. 9/1886 – April 1887: 10/1887 - 03/1888 – Kavanaugh. Rented by the school district and heated by stove. 1890-1891 - Kavanaugh. Rented by the school district. One room. Contained seats, stove, one broom, one axe and one water bucket. Jan 28, 1898 – 1899 Royville. Frame structure, rented and 16x 12 feet. Heated by stove. Window ventilation. No ground attached. No furniture belonging to the school was listed. Oct 1899 – March 1900 Royville. The size was listed as a frame of 16x12. It was heated by stove. In the room was a stove, nine benches, a bucket, a broom and a cup. No ground attached
Student Statistics
At a future date, I recommend that the entire student body be digitized, as was done in the Conklin study. This should be done for all of the “colored schools,” then a database combining all of students be created as well. See Kavanaugh and Royhill for preliminary statistics.