The collection consists of photocopies of land records about property belonging to John McComly that was later acquired by
the Loudoun County Public Schools. There are transcriptions of two deeds from 17 December 1870 and 17 December 1892, and
of McComly's will prepared by Bronwen C. Souders, a member of the Education Committee of Waterford Foundation. The collection
includes photocopies and typed transcriptions of articles concerning the history of Loudoun County's public schools, and lists
of students who attended Ashburn Colored School. The lists also have information about the teachers, their salaries, and
physical description of the building.
Records are unclear about when Ashburn Colored School was started. It was built on land distributed from the estate of John
McComly (McCanerly) (ca. 1786-ca. 1867) between Anna Elizabeth Adrain (ca. 1808-?), who was his housekeeper, and her sons
Peter E. Adrain (1837-after 1910) and James A. Adrain (1838-1915). The Adrains are also identified in some documents as "Adrian."
In 1892 James A. and Olivia E. (1852-1940) Adrain sold two and one fourth acres to B.F. (Benjamin Franklin) Noland (1858-1939),
who sold one half acre of the property to the Trustees for the Public Free Schools of Broad Run District, Loudoun County,
VA.
In 1869 Virginia's General Assembly mandated public schools for all children in the commonwealth, with the stipulation that
white and African American students would have separate facitilies. In 1870 Loudoun County's first public schools opened
with 55 schools - 46 for white students and 9 for African Americans. In the early years of these public schools the county
was divided into six districts: Leesburg, Mt. Gilead, Mercer, Jefferson, Lovettsville, and Broad Run. The County School Board
of Loudoun County, Virginia sold the tract to John Kerns (1921-1960) in 1959 after the school closed.
It is unclear when the Ashburn Colored School was built, but the description for insurance purposes in 1940 shows a one room
frame building estimated to be 20 1/2' by 32 1/2' with three windows on two sides, heated by a wood stove. The enrollment
for the years 1920-1958 varied between 11 and 49.
The collection consists of photocopies of land records about property belonging to John McComly that was later acquired by
the Loudoun County Public Schools. There are transcriptions of two deeds from 17 December 1870 and 17 December 1892, and
of McComly's will prepared by Bronwen C. Souders, a member of the Education Committee of Waterford Foundation. The collection
includes photocopies and typed transcriptions of articles concerning the history of Loudoun County's public schools, and lists
of students who attended Ashburn Colored School. The lists also have information about the teachers, their salaries, and
physical description of the building.
Ancestry Library Edition, United States census, http://www.ancestrylibrary.com (Accessed 5/11/2011).
Ashburn Colored School, 1870-1962 (SC 0071), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Frain, Elizabeth R. Union Cemetery Plats A & B, 1784-1995 . Willow Bend Books, Lovettsville, VA, 1995.
Loudoun Cemetery Database. http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=940 (Accessed 5/11/2011). Loudoun Times Mirror , obituary, 26 October 1939. Loudoun Times Mirror , obituary, 5 May 1960. Loudoun Times Mirror , obituary, 13 August 1981.
Poland, Charles P. Jr. From Frontier to Suburbia: Loudoun County, Virginia: One of America's Fastest Growing Counties . Heritage Books: Westminster, MD, 2005.
Public Information Office and Office of Student Records of Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun County, VA.
Ancestry Library Edition, United States census, http://www.ancestrylibrary.com (Accessed 5/11/2011).
Ashburn Colored School, 1870-1962 (SC 0071), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Frain, Elizabeth R. Union Cemetery Plats A & B, 1784-1995 . Willow Bend Books, Lovettsville, VA, 1995.
Loudoun Cemetery Database. http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=940 (Accessed 5/11/2011). Loudoun Times Mirror , obituary, 26 October 1939. Loudoun Times Mirror , obituary, 5 May 1960. Loudoun Times Mirror , obituary, 13 August 1981.
Poland, Charles P. Jr. From Frontier to Suburbia: Loudoun County, Virginia: One of America's Fastest Growing Counties . Heritage Books: Westminster, MD, 2005.
Public Information Office and Office of Student Records of Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun County, VA.