Powhatan High School - Big Chief Yearbook (Powhatan, VA)

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which houses the largest enrollment in the history of the school has been completed.There are two stories with a large corridor running the entire length of both floors. The completed building represents an outlay of a- bout $40,000. There is an auditorium with a seating capacity of over four hundred in whifch is a large stage. The basement has spare space which can be converted into class room or used as a play room. The School Board was fortunate in the time they were called upon to build. There has not been a time when the type of material used and when labor was much cheaper. Plans are being made to landscape the grounds and make the sur¬ roundings attractive. The citizens of the county have taken this as their project and will provide the money for the shrubbery.

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HISTORY OF THE POWHATAN HIGH SCHOOL The Powhatan School began its career in the traditional log cabin. The pupils advanced further and further until they moved into what is now the Powhatan Community house.Powhatan High School did not become accredited until 1920. About the year 1921 the School Board began running the trucks for the school children. This made the enrollment so much larger that the small high school building could hardly accommodate the pupils. Plans were made for a school which would be better and larger than any of the former schools in Powhatan County. The plans were car- « ried out; the new Agricultural High School was finish during the year 1923. This was beginnings of greater educational opportunities for the Children of Powhatan County. A new Home Economics Department was being added when on Thursday morning, February 12,1931,at three o ' clock, the school which had been erected at a cost of $38,000 was totally destroyed by fire. Immed¬ iately steps were taken to reopen the school in rented rooms in the village. The School Board lost no time in gathering information as to the best type of building with which to replace the one burned. Many archi¬ tects submitted plans which the board studied with care. According ly after several weeks of study of the plans submitted, the School Board de cided to build a fire-proof building,using the plans submitted by Fred A. Bishop of Richmond. When the bids were advertised and opened, H.J.Moran proved sucessful bidder. In a short time work on the new building began. This building

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.4 THE OLD POWHATAN HIGH SCHOOL Destroyed by fire February 12,1931 THE NEW POWHATAN HIGH SCHOOL Completed October 1932