Cornland School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cornland School
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5221 Glencoe St., Chesapeake, Virginia 36°36′50″N 76°22′41″W |
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| NRHP reference No. | 15000546 |
| Added to NRHP | August 24, 2015 |
Cornland School is a special one-room schoolhouse located in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is believed to be the oldest school of its kind for African American children in the Tidewater Virginia area. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
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A Look Back at Cornland School's History
This simple building was likely built around 1902. However, some clues suggest it might be even older, possibly from 1885. Imagine going to school without electricity or indoor bathrooms! Cornland School was like that. It was warmed by a wood stove placed in the middle of the room.
This school was very important because it was one of the first places in the area to educate African American children. The school closed its doors in 1952. At that time, students moved to bigger, combined schools nearby.
People believe that freed slaves, who really wanted their children to learn, built an earlier school nearby. This was on land possibly given by Israel Foreman. By 1885, official papers started listing the names of teachers at the school. Restoring Cornland School helps us remember the beginnings of African American education. It also shows us how much progress has been made.
To learn more about the school's past, members of the Cornland School Foundation are talking to former students. Some of these former students are also helping to save the school.
Saving a Piece of History
In 2010, Preservation Virginia listed Cornland School as one of Virginia's most endangered historic places. This meant it was in serious need of repair. The City of Chesapeake has been working to restore the building.
The building has already had some smaller repairs, like replacing the front step. After the school closed in 1952, it was used as a church and then as a home. Some changes made for those uses are still inside the building.
The School's Design
Cornland School is built in a style called Vernacular architecture. This means it was built using local materials and common building methods of the time. The building has wood siding and a metal roof. A small brick chimney sticks out from the middle of the roof.
The windows have six panes of glass on the top and six on the bottom. However, the glass itself is one continuous piece in each section. There are three windows on both the east and west sides of the building. Some windows have been covered with plastic films that look like stained glass. The windows have also been boarded up to protect the building from weather. This will keep it safe until full restoration can happen.
See Also
