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In 1813, The Petersburg Academy acquired a tract of land in the Folly Castle neighborhood of Petersburg, Virginia called “Paradise”. The Petersburg Academy is described as neither successful nor unsuccessful and was not financially sound, and after nine years fell into a …”ruinous condition and as occupied by dissolute characters”.
Meanwhile, David Anderson, a merchant and outstanding citizen of Petersburg City, passed away in 1812 and he left the bulk of his money and property to the education of the poor, white children in the city. This was the first step in establishing a public school system and was necessary to give the children an opportunity to prepare themselves for college.
In 1835, the property at 512 W. Washington Street was transferred to the Anderson Seminary. In private correspondence the Anderson Seminary (also called the Anderson School, the Anderson Academy, or Anderson Elementary) was referred to as “the poor school” or the “charity school”. The school was located on the south side of the property and during the civil war, the headmaster, Charles Campbell, allowed neighbors to hide in the cellar when the firing became unbearable.
The picture below shows the Union troops leaving Petersburg at the end of the Civil War. In the background, the plot of land to the right depicts the lot ARGS now stands on.
A Survey of Architectural Resources for the Folly Castle Historic District Boundary Increase, claims that the Anderson Seminary was the most important free school in Petersburg during the post bellum period. The Anderson Seminary became part of the public school system in 1868. Below is a picture of the Anderson School in 1893.
The above photo on the right, circa 1904. The map below, circa 1877.
Also using Anderson’s money, the first public high school was opened on Union Street in 1868. Enrollment in the new high school increased quickly and soon the school was moved to the Anderson Seminary building (located approximately where the auditorium stands) in 1911. Within a year, it was determined that the building was too small and inadequately heated or equipped. Superintendents R. R. Jones and F.M. Martin knew that the Anderson building needed work and pushed forward to secure the funds to build a new school. Classrooms were built in a “C” shape around the Anderson Building. Once the new building was complete around the old school, the old school was then torn town and an auditorium and portico on either side was built to finish the new school. Construction of the new school was completed in 1917, however, before it could serve as an educational facility it was commandeered as a temporary hospital for victims of the flu epidemic. The project was finally completed in 1919, with the addition of a two story auditorium where the Anderson building once stood, utilizing parts of the original foundation and walls. The total cost of construction was $171,000, (over 2.4 million in 2016). The Missile describes the exterior of the building as follows “One of the handsomest school buildings in the South… It is built of beautiful white brick and is four stories high”. The editorial staff of The Missile claim that it is “…one of the finest and best equipped schools in the State”. The school housed grades seven through twelve. Though small, the building could accommodate about 900 students.
The gymnasium annex was built in 1939. A “White House” on Guarantee Street was purchased in 1944 and remodeled to serve as the home economics department. In the 1950’s more classrooms were added and the building was renovated to house the growing number of enrollments. Through the years and as the need for vocational education and modernization increased, existing space was constantly being repurposed for other uses. In September 1966, a fire damaged the auditorium and there was extensive smoke damage throughout the building. However, the auditorium was rebuilt and expanded by the end of the academic year. The I.B. Pittman building was erected on Pine Street just west of the high school to further expand vocational education.
To solve the significant overcrowding, a new high school was built on Johnson Road and opened in September of 1973. The school on Washington Street sat vacant for one year, then housed all Petersburg City 7th graders for five years. For the next few years, the gym and some classrooms in the back of the building were used for alternative education, office space, and storage. By 1986, the building was vacant and the “old” Petersburg High School was gone. It is interesting to note that the property on Washington Street that ARGS occupies has always been used for educational purposes with the exception of the one year it was needed as a hospital.
Creation of the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
In 1997, Dr. Lena Whit, Dr. Margaret Dabney, and Mayor Rosalyn Dance (now state Senator), created a committee to resurrect the “Old Petersburg High School” which sat mainly vacant for twenty-five years. The Appomattox Education Foundation was formed, with Robert Walker, a Petersburg High School alum, acting as President. Possible uses for the building were discussed, such as a museum or a library. In September 1997, the Virginia State Board of Education accepted the proposal on the first reading and the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology (affectingly known as ARGS) was born as the 10th Governor’s School in the state and the first to start as a stand-alone school.
Construction started on July 1, 1998 and the renovations cost $15 million. This debt was paid off by 2006 and the deed was transferred from the foundation to the school. On March 1, 1999 prospective students and parents were invited to tour the school (hard hats were mandatory) and meet the newly hired faculty and staff. On September 7 of the same year, ARGS opened its doors for the first time with 94 students and 13 faculty members. ARGS becomes the third full-time Governor’s School in Virginia. On June 13, 2002, ARGS held its first ever graduation ceremony with 26 students. Over the next fifteen years, the population grew and ARGS now has 364 students and a faculty and staff of over 60.
The Appomattox Regional Governor’s School is governed by the Regional Governing Board. The Regional Governing Board consists of a designee from each of our fourteen school districts that include the counties of Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Powhatan, Prince George, Southampton, Surry, and Sussex, and the cities of Colonial Heights, Franklin, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond. The Regional Governing Board operates on the advice of the Superintendent’s Steering Committee, which includes the Superintendent from each of the counties and cities listed.
Students wishing to attend ARGS must apply through their home school division as an 8th grader. After a rigorous application and adjudication process, a potential student selects their intended focus area or “major”. We offer Literary Arts, Dance, Visual Arts, Instrumental and Vocal Music, Theatre Arts, and Technology/Pre-Engineering. ARGS is unique in that we offer a college-preparatory program as well courses in each of the six focus areas. Our academic curriculum includes Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement courses. We have partnerships with John Tyler Community College and Richard Bland College.
The dilapidated two-story house (built in 1906) directly adjacent to the school facing Guarantee Street (affectionately called the “White House”) had been used for storage since the beginning of ARGS. The hope was to renovate it for something purposeful. Dr. James Victory, current Executive Director, and Mr. Larry Joyner, Assistant Director from 2006-2016, adopted that same dream and in 2013 was awarded a $225,000 grant from The Cameron Foundation. Along with the grant, private donations and money set aside from ARGS and the Appomattox Education Foundation, and with the blessing from the Regional Governing Boards, the “White House” was completely renovated to house visiting artists. The renovation cost $375,000. The “White House” was renamed the “Alumni House” in honor of Petersburg High School and ARGS graduates. The Alumni house is equipped with four bedrooms, a fully furnished kitchen, laundry facilities, and a large living room with the original fireplaces. The Alumni House also houses memorabilia from Petersburg High School and is available to alumni to use for reunions and meetings.
Another area of concern since the beginning of the school was the dance studio. The space allotted in the building for the Dance department was not adequate and could not fit a large number of students, which created many challenges within the department. ARGS has a long standing partnership with the Richmond Ballet and junior and senior dance students would travel every other day on a school bus to use their facilities. The cost of transportation was taxing. For years, many options were considered, including building on-site and buying a bus to name a few. In 2016, Petersburg City Public Schools gave approval for ARGS to renovate and retrofit part of the I.B. Pittman building located on Pine Street for the dance studio. The Cameron Foundation donated $87,000 and the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation donated $85,400; along with private donations, the almost $200,000 needed to fund the new dance studio was raised. In October of this year, the new space opened with over a 2,300 square foot dance space with a floating floor, barres, and mirrors. The space includes a classroom, dressing rooms, office and storage space.
ARGS Today
Not only does ARGS provide gifted and talented students a differentiated and rigorous education, ARGS cultivates a supportive environment that inspires unique artistic and technological visions, promotes cultural tolerance, nurtures community partnerships, and produces active, engaged citizens. Our students are passionate about their art and their education. ARGS provides students with a strong foundation to pursue their dream. Alumni have performed on Broadway, nominated for Tony awards, accepted to dance companies around the world, and produced music for famous artists. A 2014 Alumna is a Gates Millennium Scholar and will have her college education paid for, including medical school.
The ARGS Faculty includes published authors, seasoned performers, former professors and engineers who want further art and technology education, and highly qualified teachers committed to creating a community of life-long learners.
The graduation rate is 100% with over 90% of ARGS graduates attending post-secondary education at colleges and universities. Alumni have been accepted to University of Richmond, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Harvard University, Howard University, College of William & Mary, Virginia State University, Savannah College of Art & Design, Julliard, and George Mason University, to name a few. The 77 graduates in the Class of 2017 received over 1.1 million dollars in scholarships from post-secondary schools they actually plan to attend.
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