The Construction of the Maury Elementary School
- The February 15, 1924 edition of the Post reported on the first request by Rosemont residents for a new elementary school, made by Mrs. John Abraham, President of the West End School Parent-Teachers Association.
- The January 26, 1925 edition of the Post reported that the existing West End school had been sold to the George Washington Masonic Memorial Association and would need to be abandoned in two or three years, but no action had been taken by the City Council or School Board.
- The February 3, 1925 edition of the Post reported that the Northwest Citizens Association resolved to appoint a committee to look into the advisability of requesting that the City Council and School Board establish a new school.
- The February 18, 1927 edition of the Post reported that Gardner L. Boothe, a member of the School Board, and Superintendent R.C. Bowton had recommended that the City Council build a new school in Rosemont within a year.
- The August 4, 1927 edition of the Post reported that the City had purchased two acres at Russell Road and Morgan Place for $8,000. Plans for a two-story school that would accommodate 200 students were being prepared by state school architect J.L. Long. Bids were to be invited on August 25; the expected cost was $30,000 and the building was expected to be ready for occupancy in January 1928.
- The October 1, 1927 edition of the Star reported that the City Council was considering the floatation of $48,000 in bonds for the erection of a new school in Rosemont.
- The October 8, 1927 edition of the Post reported that bids now were to be opened on October 21, 1927, for a one-story building, and that the City Council was expected to authorize $40,000 for the construction. The October 21, 1927 edition of the Post reported that the Council authorized $48,000 in bonds to cover both the purchase of the land and the construction.
- The October 22, 1927 edition of the Star reported that the building committee of the School Board had rejected all eight bids that had been submitted, because even the lowest exceeded the amount appropriated for the work by $14,800.
- The November 4, 1927 edition of the Post reported that the City Manager had recommended rejecting all of the bids, deferring construction until spring, and either amending the plans to bring the cost within the $40,000 already appropriated or increasing the appropriation by at least $10,000.
- The March 16, 1928 edition of the Post reported that construction was now expected to begin in April, with modifications so that the construction could be done within the $40,000 appropriated by the City Council. The article added that the lowest bid previously received was $54,000. The March 29, 1928 edition of the Post reported that the school should be ready for occupancy by the beginning of the 1928-29 school year. A similar report appeared in the March 16, 1928 edition of the Star.
- The April 5, 1928 edition of the Post reported that the West End School Parent-Teacher Association had urged the City Council to retain an auditorium in its plans for the school. A similar report appeared in the April 5, 1928 edition of the Star. The April 13, 1928 edition of the Post reported that Mayor Smoot responded that the request would be taken under consideration, but in correspondence with other cities the consensus appeared to be that an auditorium was not favored. A similar report appeared in the April 13, 1928 edition of the Star. The May 3, 1928 edition of the Post reported that bids would open on May 10, and the plans would provide for six classrooms and an auditorium in a one-story building.
- The May 18, 1928 edition of the Post reported that the lowest bid received was $49,115 from the Farmville Manufacturing Co., and that the City Council had proposed to appropriate an additional $9,115. The May 30, 1928 edition of the Post reported that an additional $9,235 had been appropriated and a contract signed; the completion date of the building was specified as February 1, 1929, although Farmville hoped to have it completed by December.
- The September 8, 1928 edition of the Post reported that construction of the school would be completed by February 1. The November 24, 1928 edition of the Post reported that the budget was now $50,000, some additions costing several hundred dollars having been made by the School Board.
- The February 1, 1929 edition of the Post reported that the opening day of the school – now referred to as Maury (after Matthew Fontaine Maury) – would be February 11, to allow for the painting and scraping of the floors. The article added that construction had begun on June 6, 1928.
- The February 8, 1929 edition of the Star reported that one of the teachers at the Maury School would be Lillian Smith, formerly of Winchester, Virginia.
- The February 10, 1929 edition of the Post reported that the Maury School would be dedicated on February 21.
- The February 25, 1929 edition of the Star reported that the Alexandria PTA would at the Maury School celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the founding national PTA.
- The March 7, 1929 edition of the Star reported that the dedication of the Maury School would be delayed due to the illness of the music teacher, Christine Munoz, who was to lead the musical exercises.
- The March 14, 1929 edition of the Post reported on the dedication of the Maury School on March 13. The March 12, 1929 and March 14, 1929 editions of the Star and the March 14, 1929 edition of the Gazette also previewed and reported on the events.
- The June 15, 1929 edition of the Post reported that the Maury auditorium was utilized to award diplomas to 54 high school graduates.
- The September 20, 1929 edition of the Star reported that $600 had been appropriated by the City Council for curb, gutter, and sidewalk construction at the Maury School.
The entrance of the Maury Elementary School in 1976, little-changed since it was built in the 1920s:
