Cornland School is a one-room schoolhouse located in
Chesapeake, Virginia
Chesapeake is an independent city in Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, making it the second-most populous city in Virginia, the tenth largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 92nd-most populous city in the ...
. "It is believed to be the oldest pre-
Rosenwald School
The Rosenwald School project built more than 5,000 schools, shops, and teacher homes in the United States primarily for the education of African-American children in the South during the early 20th century. The project was the product of the partn ...
still standing in Tidewater Virginia."
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2015.
History
The one-room building was built sometime around 1902.
However, there is also evidence that the building existed circa 1885.
[ Cornland was built with no electricity or indoor plumbing, and was heated by a wood-burning stove, which sat in the middle of the floor. The school represents one of the regions earliest attempts to educate African American children. The school was closed in 1952, when it was consolidated with other nearby schools. According to a supporter of the restoration project,
“While the present building dates to 1902, we know that there was an earlier school building close by. Records indicate that there were three schools for African-American children in the Pleasant Grove District of Norfolk County as early as 1871; Cornland’s predecessor is believed to be one. Local legend says freed slaves who treasured the opportunity to educate their children built it on land donated by Israel Foreman. By 1885, official documents begin recording the names of the teachers in the school. A restored Cornland School would honor the roots of African-American education while reminding us of how far we have come.”]
Preservation
In 2010, Preservation Virginia
Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus ...
listed Cornland School as one of its most endangered historic sites as it "is in serious disrepair." The City of Chesapeake is currently seeking to restore the building.[
The building itself has undergone smaller repairs such as the replacement of the front step. After the school was closed in 1952, it was used as a church and a residence. Some of the modifications needed for those structures still remain in the building.]
Architecture
According to the Cornland School Foundation,
In the style of Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture (also folk architecture) is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. It is not a particular architectural movement or style but rather a broad category, encompassing a wide range a ...
, "the structure is constructed of wood clapboard siding and a standing-seam metal roof. A small brick chimney protrudes from the center of the roofline. Windows are six-over-six, though the glass is continuous in each sash and not broken by the muntins. There are three windows on both the east and west facades. The remaining glazing has been covered with faux-stained glass plastic films. The windows have been boarded up to weatherproof the structure until stabilization and restoration are possible.”[
]
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Chesapeake, Virginia
References
{{reflist
External links
Cornland School Foundation Site
Preservation Virginia Site
Schools in Virginia
African-American history of Virginia
Schools in Chesapeake, Virginia
Historically black schools
Education in Chesapeake, Virginia
Buildings and structures in Chesapeake, Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Chesapeake, Virginia