Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
27 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
27 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
27 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
27 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Virginia Alexandria Laurel Grove School Museum
AO Edited

Laurel Grove School Museum

The only remaining African American schoolhouse in northern Virginia is now a museum dedicated to formerly enslaved people.

Alexandria, Virginia

Added By
Ian Hall
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Laurel Grove School Museum   "07.LaurelGroveSchool.FranconiaVA.4October2011" by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Laurel Grove School Museum   "07.LaurelGroveSchool.FranconiaVA.4October2011" by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Laurel Grove School Museum   "File:09.LaurelGroveSchool.FranconiaVA.4October2011 (6218882779).jpg" by Elvert Barnes from Hyattsville MD, USA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Laurel Grove School Museum   "02.LaurelGroveSchool.FranconiaVA.4October2011" by Elvert Barnes is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Originally known as Laurel Grove Colored School And Church, the Laurel Grove School Museum is a small, one-room schoolhouse that sits just off of Beulah Street, dwarfed by the office park that looms behind it. 

The schoolhouse was built by formerly enslaved people who organized a congregation and held church services in a grove of laurel near the site of the school, hence the name "Laurel Grove." Members of the congregation, parents, grandparents, and neighbors, wanted to provide the black children living in Franconia with opportunities to have better lives. The effort to create the school was led by four church trustees, Middleton Braxton, George Carroll, Thornton Gray, and William Jasper, whose names appear on a historical marker near the school building.

Laurel Grove was one of five black schools in the Mount Vernon School District in 1890, the others being Gum Springs, Gunston, Springbank, and Woodlawn. Laurel Grove educated pupils for nearly 50 years until its students were absorbed into Fairfax County's segregated public school system.  

Following its closure in 1932, the Laurel Grove School sat dormant until 1999 when a local non-profit, the Laurel Grove School Association, restored the old schoolhouse to preserve its inspiring history. They also re-opened the school as a living museum. Using historical artifacts, the school offers children the opportunity to participate in educational activities that bring the past to life and allows them to experience local history.

Related Tags

Black History Museums Schools

Know Before You Go

The school is located on the left side of Beulah Street heading north, less than a quarter-mile past the intersection with the Fairfax County Parkway. There is ample parking in the lot behind the school, which it shares with the office park that runs along Walker Lane.

Community Contributors

Added By

blimpcaptain

Published

April 20, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://chnm.gmu.edu/laurelgrove/
  • http://places.afrovirginia.org/items/show/239
  • https://www.facebook.com/LaurelGroveSchoolMuseum/
Laurel Grove School Museum
6840 Beulah St
Alexandria, Virginia, 22310
United States
38.768337, -77.155033
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Olander Banks Sr. and Margaret Lomax Banks Community Park

Alexandria, Virginia

miles away

Lieutenant General William C. Gribble Jr. Memorial

Alexandria, Virginia

miles away

Stone Mansion

Alexandria, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alexandria

Alexandria

Virginia

Places 34

Nearby Places

Olander Banks Sr. and Margaret Lomax Banks Community Park

Alexandria, Virginia

miles away

Lieutenant General William C. Gribble Jr. Memorial

Alexandria, Virginia

miles away

Stone Mansion

Alexandria, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alexandria

Alexandria

Virginia

Places 34

Related Places

  • Museum entrance

    Seattle, Washington

    Northwest African American Museum

    Now a museum, once the site of the longest act of civil disobedience in United States history.

  • Smithfield Schoolhouse Museum

    Smithfield, Virginia

    Smithfield Schoolhouse Museum

    This one-room schoolhouse was revitalized in 2007 as a museum focusing on the education of Black children during the early 20th-century.

  • Bray School today.

    Williamsburg, Virginia

    Bray School

    Colonial Williamsburg was home to one of the earliest institutions in North America dedicated to educating Black children.

  • The building that housed the first kindergarten.

    Bad Blankenburg, Germany

    Friedrich Fröbel Museum

    The world's first kindergarten.

  • The African American Military History Museum, opened in 2009, shares the stories and sacrifices of Black soldiers throughout history.

    Hattiesburg, Mississippi

    African American Military History Museum

    This Hattiesburg museum honors Black Americans who have served in the military, highlighting homegrown heroes.

  • Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children

    Owatonna, Minnesota

    Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children Museum

    Preserving the story of an early 20th-century orphanage.

  • The E.T.H.I.C. Museum at dusk.

    Glendora, Mississippi

    Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center

    Young Emmett Till's tragic story, which sparked America's civil rights movement, is retold near the site where it occurred.

  • Statue of Tubman.

    Church Creek, Maryland

    Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park

    The grounds of former plantations where abolitionist Harriet Tubman spent her youth enslaved are now a museum to her incredible life.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.