Barker's Crossroads Schoolhouse (Site)
GPS Coordinates: 38.7581420, -77.2205194
Closest Address: 50 Fairfax County Parkway, Springfield, VA 22153

These coordinates mark the exact location where the school once stood. No visible remains exist.
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Here follows a history of the school as published on the Fairfax County Public Schools website:
What’s in a Name?
Have you ever wondered about the origin of the name Springfield for our community? Find out in this video produced for Fairfax County Public Schools’ cable television channel Red Apple 21.
The West Springfield area was home to a vibrant community made up of people who were passionate about the education of their children. In 1874, the heirs of Thomas Hall donated land along Hooes Road close to the present-day intersection of Rolling Road and the Fairfax County Parkway for a public school house. The one-room school was named at various times the Pohick school and the Barkers Crossroads School. In 1897, the school building was in disrepair and the Lee District School Board voted to build a new school nearby. The new school, also named Pohick, was destroyed by fire in 1928. A short time later, a second schoolhouse was built on the same site. It was named the Sydenstricker school after nearby Sydenstricker Church. The Barker family who lent their name to the Barker's Crossroads community and the first schoolhouse has a long history in the area. In 1741, William Barker was granted 287 acres of land along Pohick Creek by Thomas the sixth Lord Fairfax. In 1793, William sold a portion of this land to his grandson, Presley Barker. Presley acquired additional property in the 1830s including the present-day West Springfield High School site. This land was formerly part of Ravensworth, a large plantation owned by the Fitzhugh family. In 1856, Presley Barker passed away, leaving behind a widow and two children. Presley's will and the inventory of his estate offer a fascinating glimpse into life on the Barker family farm. The first notations on the inventory are slaves. Barker held 16 enslaved individuals, seven of whom were male and nine female. The oldest was Sally, age 56 and the youngest was an unnamed newborn infant of Hannah, age 29. Half of the slaves were children under the age of twelve. A monetary value was assigned to each person and four men: Charles, John, Peter, and Henry, were assigned a value of $1,000 each. Sally was assigned a value of $100. From the inventory we also learned that the Barkers raised livestock: horses, cows, geese, pigs, and goats and farmed corn, wheat, and oats. Following his death, Presley Barker's estate was divided among his heirs. The West Springfield high school site passed to his widow Charlotte and their son Paloma who further divided and sold their inheritance during the 1860s. Some 70 years later, post-World War II rapid population growth accelerated suburban development of the Springfield area. The name Springfield can be traced back to a farm on Back Lick Road owned by Henry Dangerfield who lived contemporaneously with Presley Barker. As development of the Springfield area moved westward, the name West Springfield was chosen by developers for the burgeoning community. This community would soon make history of its own with the opening of West Springfield High School.
Local History: The Barker Family
Farmers, Millers, and Slaveholders
Well before the creation of housing subdivisions and shopping centers, the West Springfield area, and in particular the property where West Springfield High School stands today, was owned by the Barker family. In 1741, William Barker was granted 287 acres of land along Pohick Run by Thomas, the 6th Lord Fairfax. In 1793, William sold a portion of this land to his grandson Presley Barker. Presley Barker acquired additional property in the 1830s, including the present day site of West Springfield High School. This land was formerly part of Ravensworth, a large plantation owned by the Fitzhugh family.
Ravensworth was the largest colonial land grant in Fairfax County, encompassing 24,112 acres! The property outline has been superimposed on the 1878 G.M. Hopkins Atlas of Fairfax County. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
A Home in Hidden Pond
Did you know that the Barker family home and cemetery were once located in the vicinity of Hidden Pond Nature Center?