Blacksburg District

Gathering Blacksburg School History

Much has been written about the origins and establishment of the VPI/Virginia Tech. In contrast, comprehensive historical information about the town’s primary or secondary schools is not as abundant.

The condensed version of education in Blacksburg based on Clara Cox’s “Blacksburg Educates Its Children, 1740s to 1990s”

Cox, Clara B.. “Blacksburg Educates Its Children, 1740s to 1990s ” A Special Place for 200 Years: A History of Blacksburg, Virginia, ed., Clara B. Cox. Roanoke, Va.: Town of Blacksburg, Va., 1998, Print, pp 79-99

Prior to 1869, when the state legislature created the first Virginia public school education system, Blacksburg’s students, who had financial means, were educated by parents, local tutors, churches or private schools. Less affluent students attended non-graded subscription schools, known as “old field schools,” or in homes. Teachers relied on tuition fees, donations and free lodging. The Barger and Siebold schools were examples of this type of community school. The Barger school was supported by the Blacksburg Episcopal church at least until 1919. (Recollection of the Rev. William Byrd Lee, Jr., rector of Christ Church from 1919 until 1923, essay dated April 6, 1941)

In the 19th century, private single-sex academies for secondary education were established in Blacksburg, i.e. the Female Academy on Water Street and Olin & Preston Institute for men at the northern end of town. This patchwork system of primary and secondary schooling existed for only white children. Many of the schools closed during the Civil War.

In 1869, the state law mandated the creation of a primary level (1 to 7 or 8 grades) public school system for all children, black and white. Secondary schools were not mandated until 14 March 1906, when the Mann High School bill was passed. Building and outfitting schools as well as supplying teachers in the Blacksburg district was slow. Progress was hindered by the restriction of state and local finances. By the beginning of the 20th century community un-graded and graded primary schools as well as a secondary town school were educating white students. A school for African American students was located on east Clay Street by 1871, as stated in W. B. Conway’s 1916 memoir, “Old Blacksburg.”

The Blacksburg District covers nearly 1/3 of Montgomery County as well as the Town of Blacksburg. Schools will be discussed starting with the most recent and moving back in time.

Blacksburg District Schools – Present

In the Blacksburg district there is currently a high school and middle school as well as six elementary schools.

Currently, Montgomery County is divided into 7 school districts, A to G. Children from geographic regions are assigned to the following schools:

  • Elementary
  • Blacksburg Middle School (District A, E, F, G) 3109 Price’s Fork Road
  • Blacksburg High School School (District A, E, F, G) 3401 Bruin Lane

Some of these schools, such as Price’s Fork, Blacksburg Middle and Blacksburg High have been located at different places over time.

Prior to the 1960’s 1st through 8th grade students attended 1-4 room community school houses. This 1940 School Census, Childress Hall map, identifies the different schools. Other older maps indicate other schools that have disappeared with time.

Blacksburg School District in 1940 (Courtesy of Montgomery Museum of Art & History)

Schools Based on the 1940’s School Census Map

  • Blacksburg District
    • Blacksburg Primary & Elementary
    • Blacksburg Secondary
    • Blacksburg Clay Street African American
    • Dowdy Town (1 room)
    • Glade (1 room)
    • Long’s Shop (3 rooms)
    • Luster’s Gate (2 rooms)
    • McCoy (3 rooms)
    • Merrimac (3 rooms)
    • Mt Tabor (3 rooms, Old Sch. Ho. noted)
    • Norris Run (1 room)
    • Prices Fork (4 rooms)
    • Sunnyside (1 room)
    • Tom’s Creek (1 room)
    • Vicker (2 rooms)
    • Wake Forest (2 rooms)
    • Glade (1 room)
    • Long’s Shop (3 rooms)
    • Luster’s Gate (2 rooms)
    • McCoy (3 rooms)
    • Merrimac (3 rooms)
    • Mt Tabor (3 rooms, Old Sch. Ho. noted)
    • Norris Run (1 room)
    • Prices Fork (4 rooms)
    • Sunnyside (1 room)
    • Tom’s Creek (1 room)
    • Vicker (2 rooms)
    • Wake Forest (2 rooms)

Schools in 1928

The Times Dispatch, Richmond, VA printed an article on June 10, 1928 listing the neighborhoods in the Blacksburg area, noting that all by two contain schools. Here is the list of neighborhoods with * indicating that the school was documented in the 1940 school census.

  • Grisso
  • McDonalds Mill
  • North Fork*
  • Dry Run
  • Mt. Tabor*
  • Luster’s Gate*
  • Ellett*
  • Merrimac Mines*
  • Glade*
  • Dowdy Town* (Dowdytown)
  • Prices Fork*
  • Tom’s Creek*
  • Sunnyside*
  • Norris Run*
  • Long’s Shop*
  • Centennial
  • McCoy*
  • Poverty Hollow
  • Perfater

Department of Interior, Geological Survey 1937 Map of most of Montgomery County with mines, churches, and schools noted. Portion of the map is missing. Arthur C. Bevan, attribution. The University of Texas version which is more complete.

Schools identified on this map:

  • Glade
  • Ellett (Symbol only)

References to Early Schools Not Yet Located

  • Barger School, once a mission project of Christ Episcopal Church in Blacksburg, is now located after our three year quest!
Barger School was situated near the spring on the Barger family land, close to the intersection of Northside Drive and NW Progress Street. Today, Route 460 cuts through the Barger tract, but historically, Givens Lane served as a connection between the Mt. Tabor community and Toms Creek. (Courtesy of Ed Marsh and Tony Eaton)
Mary Preston (1806-1881) & John Barger, Jr (1796-1845) Estate (Courtesy of Ed Marsh and Tony Eaton)
From Christ Episcopal Church’s Vestry Minutes:

Below is a recollection from the Rev. William Byrd Lee, Jr., of his time here serving as rector of Christ Church from 1919 until 1923. His essay is dated April 6, 1941.

“Coming as rector to Blacksburg in 1919 in the early post-war days one was favorably impressed how the small group of communicants had “carried on” without a rector. It was an argument for the faithfulness and earnestness of that small band to which the succeeding four years amply testified.
Rarely can one find a small church with such a large field of service which is distinctly separated into two phases, the College and the Mountain Missions.
The mission work of the parish was concentrated at two points, Bargers School House and ‘High Top.’ At the former, largely through the efforts of Prof. Massey, a Sunday school was established. At High Top Sunday school and church services were held every Sunday afternoon. At both places student members of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew worked. Miss Minnie Davidson of Christ Church has been not only a faithful Sunday school teacher at High Top, but also the organist.
For the college students there were two organizations through which the work was largely done, the Episcopal Club and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. The Episcopal Club was composed of all Church students in college and met monthly, usually with an out of town speaker; a smoker followed.
The Brotherhood of St. Andrew composed of a smaller group, met every Sunday p.m. Four objects were always striven for — (a) training as lay readers, (b) building up Bible classes, (c) work at the missions, (d) leading young men to confirmation.
Along material lines, the acquisition of the Parish House with the aid of the Diocesan Executive Board, filled a long felt need. It was purchased in 1921 from the Lybrook estate and remodeled.”

  • Still House Hill School
Mr. Harvey’s Research identified a school that mentioned Still House Hill School in connection with DH Barger (robertharvey@chartertn.net)

“Below is an excerpt from an article in the August 7, 1920, issue of the trade magazine Black Diamond. The excerpt was part of a several-paragraph biographical sketch of D. H. Barger. The magazine often recognized and wrote about people who were well known in the coal business. A descendant of one of the pioneer families all western Virginia, D. H. Barger was born in Montgomery county, Virginia, on November 1st, 1857. He entered the world at rather an inopportune time – just before the war between the North and South – and at the end of that war opportunities for an education were extremely limited. His alma mater was therefore the little log school house at the foot of Still House Hill.”

August 13, 1967
“David Barger grew up to hard work on the farm. His formal education was obtained by walking four miles to a one-room log school, during the months that school was taught there. When he was 3-1/2 years old the War Between The States broke out. When he was 6-1/2 Federal troops were swarming over his neighborhood after the Battle of Cloyd’s Farm. After the surrender when the gray-clad soldiers were coming home and through the Reconstruction period, the lad was working on the farm.”

Montgomery County, Virginia, 1940 School Census

The map was finished in 1942 by Childress Hall, Surveyor and available courtesy of Montgomery Museum of Art & History.

For a closer look at this map by school districts.