Groundbreaking Held for Re-Imagined Old Mount Vernon High School Site
From Student Development to Human Development
Alexandria, VA – Fairfax County recently held a formal groundbreaking at the Old Mount Vernon High School building site on Route 1, attended by community leaders and local officials.
The long-vacant site will be developed as a Human Development Center providing “Pathways to Opportunity” through education, workforce development, and life skills programs.
The proposed programs and uses are organized into three groups:
* Core elements are nonprofit programs, Teen and Senior Center, Gym and Early Childhood education programs.
* Anchor elements are educational programs to support workforce development.
*Complementary Elements are the business incubation spaces and visual and performing arts programs that are in synergy with the core and anchor element programs. Additionally, the Welcome Center and the current library, which will be converted into an event space with this project, will be used for community gatherings and events.
The Original Mount Vernon High School (OMVHS) was built in 1939, a classic example of Colonial Revival architecture. The county-owned facility is located at 8333 Richmond Highway on a 22-acre property once part of George Washington’s estate.
In 1987, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources determined that the high school property was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The school was listed on the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register in December 2017 and in the National Registry of Historic Places in May 2018.
The approximately 140,000-square-foot OMVHS facility consists of the high school building and several smaller buildings to the west and south of the main structure. Two athletic fields to the southeast of the property are scheduled for community use.
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