Old Woodlawn School (1875-1938) (Site)

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

The following history was written in 1968 by Mattie B. Cooper, then principal of Woodlawn Elementary School.

Seeing the need for a public school in the area, E. E. Mason and Courtland Lukens each granted to the Trustees of the Woodlawn School, on October 22, 1869, property for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar, land adjoining that of each other and containing one half acre strick measure. This property was situated on the Accotink Turnpike opposite old Haddon Hall. The name of this road was changed later to Richmond Highway.

The Woodlawn School
The first public Woodlawn School was a very small crude building containing two rooms with a hallway between. It was built at the back of the lot so that the cedar trees, which separated the land of Mr. Lukens and Mr. Mason, were in the center of the school grounds. They made good place for shade and to eat our lunches in nice weather. Until 1907, only one room was used as a classroom, the other for community groups.

The rooms were heated by stoves at one end and were cold more often than warm as they were poorly insulated but well ventilated. One of the early teachers sat by the stove to keep warm; thus, the clock on the far wall was out of sight. Some of the boys would slip and turn the clock up so that often school would be dismissed hours early. As there are no records attesting to the fact that the County School Board bore the cost, it may be assumed that it was built by interested parents and patrons of the school. From old School Board files the county paid the teachers, bought wood for the stove, and desks for the children. Slates were used until the School Board installed blackboards. Mr. E. E. Mason, who donated half the land for the school, was on the Fairfax County School Board as early as September 1872 at which time Mr. D. M. Chichester was County Superintendent of Schools.

Miss "Sallie" Lukens was well remembered by many of her pupils. One stated, "she made a specialty of good penmanship. Every pupil reflected this splendid art." As she had some pupils continually late, she solved the problem by locking the doors at 9:00 a.m. "Nobody was later after that rule was made". Of Miss Bertha Green, a student said, "somehow Miss Bertha made you feel not wanting to be bad". The use of school buses was approved by the School Board August 2, 1920; however, Woodlawn had free bus service for four years beginning in 1907. Due to inadequate enrollment Groveton and Snowden schools were temporarily closed. Mr. Scott Gillingham drove a wagon and picked up the children from these areas and brought them to Woodlawn.

Woodlawn School burned in 1917 or 1918. The presence of mind of one pupil probably saved many lives. She stood up and very calmly said, "The schoolhouse is on fire, we had better get our coats and hats and get out." One school board member laughingly remarked, "That was one time the school was warm enough." A group of soldiers from Fort Belvoir passing in a truck stopped and saved the children's desks. Classes were held in Haddon Hall while the school was rebuilt. The old stone foundation was used to reconstruct the two room white frame school. Stoves were installed again for heating, and thus it was ready for occupancy by the fall of the same year.

During the school year 1921-22 Woodlawn had its first library. The School Board matched funds with the Woodlawn Parents and Teachers League, each contributing $15.00. Oyster suppers were held to raise the money. At one time each family in the Parent-Teacher League contributed ten cents per month to pay the janitor. When none was available, the "teachers tended the fires."

By the school year 1935-36 the community had outgrown the schoolhouse. The school needed repairs badly but the School Board was planning a new building for Woodlawn. In March, 1936, "Mr. Woodson and a committee of men looked over several sites of land that may be suitable for our new school". The roof of the school was repaired during the summer of 1936, for in September the Parent-Teacher Association purchased a piano for $25.00, "since the roof had been fixed and it was safe to have one." In November 1936, the Parent-Teacher Association authorized teachers to purchase milk daily for undernourished children.

A New Start
On May 28, 1937, 10. 485 acres of land was deeded to the county to erect a new Woodlawn School. "This land was located in the beautiful pasture land with a small wooded knoll which was named Engleside. Not too far away stood Washington's old brick sixteen-sided barn often called the round barn. The new Woodlawn School was a brick structure containing four classrooms, a library, clinic, and principal's office, and was centrally heated. It cost approximately $36,000.

In September 1937, the new school was not ready. As the old building contained only two classrooms, two teachers taught in the community house for the enrollment that had increased from 78 to 162 pupils. Before the children could attend, a bumble bee nest had to be destroyed, doors repaired, and locks installed. The new school was completed by November and on February 11, 1938 a "housewarming" was held. In 1941 two classrooms were added to take care of 219 children.