Glen Echo School

Description

The property on which the former schools stood was part of a farm known as High Meadow, acquired in 1859 by Josiah Dabbs, a leading home builder and architect. The tract of land where the original school stood was called “Glen Echo Park” and platted in 1890.

Early Schools

The Glen Echo community’s first school operated out of a private home rented by the School Board around 1906. As enrollment grew and the school became overcrowded, the Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of the Third Presbyterian Church mission building in 1912. Classes were held there until 1913, when a new four-room schoolhouse was built. A larger school was later constructed serving students until 1938.

A New Deal Project

In 1938, the Glen Echo School building was constructed as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal iniatives, funded by the Public Works Administration. Its architectural design reflected a Colonial Williamsburg influence. The school opened in 1939 and remained in operation until 1967, serving both local students and orphans from the nearby Masonic Home of Virginia.

After the closure as a school, the Glen Echo building continued to serve the community. It became a meeting place for the Henrico County School Board and later housed the Public Health Department. From 1969 to 1977, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors conducted county business in the building. In 2022, the building was demolished.