Laurel Hill Elementary School

Here follows a history of the school as published on the Fairfax County Public Schools website:

Laurel Hill Elementary School opened on September 8, 2009. Our mascot is the lion, and at Laurel Hill we roar with pride! Our school motto is "We love the journey of life-long learning," and we live these words every day as we all - students and staff members alike - work together and learn from each other.

Laurel Hill opened at a time when Fairfax County Public Schools was experiencing a sharp rise in student population growth. The “Baby Boomlet” of the 1990s, and the redevelopment of the Lorton community, had caused significant overcrowding at the schools in our area. To meet the demand for more classroom space, construction began in the winter of 2008 on a new elementary school at what was then called the Laurel Hill site. Completed at a cost of $14.8 million, Laurel Hill Elementary School welcomed approximately 800 students on opening day. Our first principal was Suzanne Montgomery.

What’s in a Name?
Our school and the surrounding community are named for a historic estate established by the Lindsay family in the late 1700s. Learn more about the history of our area and the origin of our name in this video produced for the FCPS cable television channel Red Apple 21:

Laurel Hill Elementary School opened in September 2009. The school and the surrounding community are named for a historic estate established by the Lindsay family in the late 1700s. In 1787 and 1790, William Lindsay, a carpenter merchant and slave holder who lived in the town of Colchester, purchased two large tracts of land in southern Fairfax County totaling 960 acres. William and his wife, Ann Calvert, named their new plantation Laurel Hill. Their house was built on a high hill that provided picturesque views of the Potomac River to the southeast. There are several theories as to why the Lindsey's chose the name "Laurel Hill." Some researchers think the name relates to mountain laurel, an evergreen shrub which is native to the eastern United States and is commonly found in elevated areas of Fairfax County. Another strong possibility is that the Lindsey's chose the name Laurel Hill because the word Laurel embodies the concepts of victory achievement and status in ancient Greece. Victorious athletes in the Olympic Games were crowned with wreaths made of bay laurel, a fragrant plant native to the Mediterranean region. In modern times, laurel wreaths adorn Olympic medals, college and university diplomas, and film and television awards as a symbol of accomplishment. The Laurel Hill House is still standing today, but would look quite different to William and Ann Lindsay due to the many additions, including several rooms and a wraparound porch which were added in the 19th and 20th centuries. William's time at Laurel Hill was very brief. He passed away in 1792, leaving his widow Ann to care for their 10 children. In 1813, the estate was divided among William's heirs and the house remained in the Lindsay extended family until the 1870s. In 1910, the District of Columbia workhouse and reformatory was established in southern Fairfax County on land that was formerly part of the Laurel Hill estate. During 1919, the Laurel Hill house was purchased for the reformatories expansion and was used as a residence by the prison's superintendents until 1969 and abandoned in the 1970s. Today, the home is owned by Fairfax County and discussions are underway about what will become of the structure.