Harrison School (Roanoke, Virginia) facts for kids
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Harrison School
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Harrison School, June 2010
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 523 Harrison Ave., NW, Roanoke, Virginia |
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| Area | 0.8 acres (0.32 ha) |
| Built | 1916 |
| Architect | Page, J.H. |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004592 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 9, 1982 |
The Harrison School is a special historic building in Roanoke, Virginia. It was once a public school for African-American students. Built in 1916, it was the first school in Roanoke to offer education beyond seventh grade for Black students. A famous teacher named Lucy Addison was its first principal. After it stopped being a school, the building was used as a place for children's care and later as affordable homes. It also housed the Harrison Museum of African American Culture for many years. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Contents
A School for African-American Students
At the start of the 1900s, education for African-Americans was not a top priority in many Southern states. In Roanoke, there had been schools for young Black children since the 1870s. But if Black students wanted to study past seventh grade, they had to travel far to Virginia State College in Petersburg.
The Vision of Lucy Addison
Lucy Addison was a dedicated teacher in Roanoke's Gainsboro neighborhood since 1886. She strongly believed that older Black students needed a better school. In 1916, the city school board agreed with her. The Harrison School opened the next year, and Lucy Addison became its first principal.
Building the School
The new school building cost nearly $32,000 to build. It was designed in a style called modified Georgian, which was popular for schools back then. The building is made of brick and has three stories. It has thirteen sections, or "bays," along its front. In 1922, two-story wings were added to the building to make more space.
Growing and Achieving
In its first year, Harrison School had only 14 students and taught only eighth grade. But each year, more high school classes were added. By 1924, the first group of students who had completed all four years at Harrison graduated. The school officially earned its state approval the next year. Also in 1925, Principal Addison successfully asked for a free dental clinic to be added to the school.
A New High School and Continued Use
Lucy Addison retired from teaching in 1927. By then, Harrison School had 1,300 students, which was the most of any school in the city. In 1928, the city built a new high school for its Black students. They named it after Lucy Addison, honoring her important work. This was the first time a public building in Roanoke was named after one of its citizens.
After the new high school opened, Harrison School continued to be used as an elementary and middle school. However, a report in 1941 found that the school's facilities were not very good. This was mainly because there wasn't enough money for repairs. The building also did not have a gym, an auditorium, or proper restrooms for male teachers.
Closing and New Life
Harrison School was used as an elementary school until the 1960s. It closed in 1971 when schools in Roanoke City became integrated, meaning students of all races could attend the same schools.
After closing, the building was used as a daycare center until 1979. Then it was empty for a few years. In 1982, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That same year, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) helped a local group turn the building into affordable homes for senior citizens.
The renovation also included space for the new Harrison Museum of African American Culture. At first, there were rules about how much space the museum could use. But Jim Olin, Roanoke's representative in Congress, helped change these rules. Soon, the Harrison Museum took up the entire bottom floor of the building.
In 2009, the Harrison Museum moved out of the old school building. It reopened in a downtown Roanoke arts and culture center in 2013. The space the museum used to occupy was then turned into more affordable apartments.
