Renovation: Douglas School

Many from the Winchester community believed that the renovation and expansion of the historic Douglas School on North Kent Street, which played an important role in the Black community, was long overdue. *

Vacant in recent years, the school building educated Black students in the area until 1966, when Winchester Public Schools became integrated. Part of the building is devoted to a museum about the history of Douglas School. Schools officials said that the school’s history has been integrated into curriculum; students now take annual field trips there.

Shockey renovated and repurposed the 1927 and 1941 portions of the building, removing newer additions built in 1951 and 1961, and constructing a new structure for office space. The new ops building is a pre-engineered metal building, allowing for a clearspan interior and more flexibility for interior layout.

Built in 1927 as a “separate but equal” school for African American students, regional historians say it may have been named for Frederick Douglass, despite the spelling difference. Douglas School is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and on the National Register of Historic Places.

* Source: Winchester Star