Watson Colored

Edited: 8/23/2023

Opening and Closing

Opened about 1915.    Closed 1948.

Physical and Map Location

During segregation was in Broad Run School District

617 Red Hill Road, Leesbueg 20175.  1st Baptist Church of Watson.

Negro Mountain (see above note on renaming) Source: Scheel, E. (n.d.). Timeline of Important Events in African American History in Loudoun County, Virginia . Retrieved 11 9, 2014, from The History of Loudoun County, Virginia: Negro Mountain within is nearby to Herndon Junction and Sugarland Run.

Petitions

See 2.5.a.  Petition of Middleburg Grant school of Jan 16, 1945, which noted that Watson Mountain School was started thirty years prior in a church, which would be 1915, about the time of our earliest records, which date from 1917. By 1945, this condition of operating in a church still existed, according to the petition. We have student enrollment cards for 1917-1947/48, when the school was closed and children were hauled to Douglass Elementary.

Transportation

History

(Used to be called Negro Mountain or Negro Hill.  In 2020, thanks to the initiative of Loudoun County Sterling District Supervisor Koran Saines, the  mountain was renamed Nokes Hill.  See alo Vertical Files, Edwin Washington Research Center, Douglass HS building, Leesburg.

  • The building was rented in 1940/41 and 1941/42 for $ 16 a month. Source: EWP 8.1 Loudoun County School Budget for Fiscal Year starting July 1, 1941, Pg 7.
  • Watson (Grades 1-7), closed 1948 – students, then hauled to Douglass Elementary Source: Kroitz, D. (2013, 9 11).

In 1938/39, the number designation for Watson Colored was #39. Source EWP 1.7 1939 Socio Econ Study.

Instructors

  • 1917/18  Lelia Murray.  No experience. 
  • 1924/25-1933/34:  Chas H. Willis was appointed the “colored teacher” by the School Board.  Source:  Loudoun Times Mirror Staff. (1930, July 10). School Board Holds Its Regular Session. Loudoun Times Mirror.    Bio on Charles H. Willis:  Chas H. Willis was also the public school teacher at Conklin for the 1935/36 Academic Year. He was born in 1887 and lived on the  Carolina Road (today’s Route 15), once known as Rogue’s road due to its many robberies (Williams, 1938). His address in 1935/36 was Aldie and held a certificate for elementary school, which had been issued in 1931 and dwas ue to expire in 1937. In 1935 when he taught at Conklin, he had 15 years of experience as an instructor.  Willis received his education at the Manassas Industrial School and Va State College for Negroes. Willis was then paid $35 a month for his services, however in 1930 he was paid $60 a month for services at Watson

Sources for Biography:

  1. Virginia Department of Public Instruction. (1892-1975). Virginia Dept. of Education, Lists of Teachers, 1892-1975. Richmond, Virginia, USA: Virginia Department of Public Instruction/Education.
  2. Williams, H. (1938). Legends of Loudoun. Richmond: Garrett and Massie.
  3. Kroitz, D. (2013, 9 11).  (L. Roeder, Interviewer)
  • 1934/35:   Ms. E. Randolph
  • 1935/36:  Ms. M Johnson
  • 1936/37 – 1938/39:  Clarence Coles.  Born March 18, 1897.  Lived in Washington, DC and was educated at Manassas Industrial School, graduating from Petersburg State College in 1926.
  • 1939/40 – 1940/41:  Mrs. Beryl Glympia, born Nov 1, 1919.  Educated at Lawrence High school in 1936 and then a two year program at St. Paul Normal.
  • 1941/42:  E.R. Knox
  • 1942/43:  Ethel R. Field.   See also Theodore Ross.  Source:  Times-Mirror Staff. School Board, Loudoun Times Mirror, April 16, 1942.  Pages 1 and 2.  “Colored” teachers were listed on page 2.
  • 1943/44:  E.F. Christie
  • 1944/45 – 1947/48:   Beatrice Scipio.  According to The Frederick Post, Frederick Maryland (Feb 3, 1945, Page 2, Col 6), Ms. Scipio took the post upon the resignation of Rosa Carter; but that doesn’t comport with the records we have seen.

Insurance and Physical Description

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