Stafford Training School facts for kids
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Stafford Training School
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1739 Jefferson Davis Highway, Stafford, Virginia |
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| Area | 8.16 acres (3.30 ha) |
| Built | c. 1939, 1943, 1954, 1958, 1960 |
| Built by | Public Works Administration |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 12001272 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 5, 2013 |
Stafford Training School is a historic school building in Stafford, Virginia. It was a very important place for African American students in the area. The school was also known by other names, like H.H. Poole Junior High School and the Rowser Building.
The original part of the school was built in 1939. Over the years, it was made bigger several times. These additions happened in 1943, 1954, 1958, and 1960.
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A School for African American Students
The Stafford Training School was built by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA was a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. This school was the only high school for African American students in Stafford County during the Civil Rights Movement.
Before the school was made bigger in the 1950s, students in 11th and 12th grade had to travel. They went to The Walker-Grant High School in Fredericksburg. This was because the other high school in Stafford County was only for white students. The Stafford County School Board helped pay for their tuition and transportation.
What the School Was Like
After the 1954 addition, the school had many useful rooms. It had eight regular classrooms and an office for the principal. There was also a clinic and a lounge for teachers. Students could use the library and a special room for learning homemaking skills. The school also had a cafeteria kitchen and a room that was both an auditorium and a gymnasium. It even had modern restrooms for the time.
In the 1955-1956 school year, 228 students attended the school. The 1960 addition made the school even larger. It added a two-story cafeteria and a home economics department. School bus drivers from Stafford helped build this part of the school.
The building itself is made of cinderblock covered with brick. It has a style called Colonial Revival. This style looks like older American buildings. On the school property, there was also a baseball field from around 1940.
A Big Step for Equality
The Stafford Training School played a key role in the history of desegregation. Desegregation is when schools and other public places stopped being separated by race.
On September 5, 1961, two students from Stafford Training School made history. Their names were Doretha and Cynthia Montague. They entered Stafford Elementary School, which had only been for white students. This was the start of schools becoming desegregated in the Fredericksburg area. It was a very important moment for equal rights in education.
Remembering the School's History
The former Stafford Training School building is now recognized as a historic place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. This list includes important places across the United States.
On June 18, 2013, a special historical plaque was put inside the building. It tells a short story about the school's past. In 2014, another sign was put up in front of the building. This one is a state historic marker from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. It helps everyone remember the school's important history.
