Bellevue Elementary School

Richmond, VA 

 

  

 

 

With the start of the new school year upon us, I wanted to highlight one of the elementary schools that Beckstoffers helped renovate, Bellevue School, located at 2401 East Grace Street in Church Hill.

A little history from the Richmond Public Schools Website about Bellevue:

This school replaced old Bellevue which had been named for Bellevue Hospital. The site was once the home of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Southerner who carried out Union espionage work during the Civil War. The cornerstone was laid on January 21, 1913, with Masonic ceremonies.

Bellevue opened during the 1913-14 session as an elementary school with pupils transferred from old Bellevue; in September 1915, it was converted into Bellevue Junior High School. It reverted to an elementary school in September 1919 (with the opening of East End Junior High School) and continued until June 1955. At that time, the pupils were allowed "as much leeway as possible" to choose among Helen Dickinson, Chimborazo, and Nathaniel Bacon schools. In September 1955, Bellevue became a school for Negro pupils.

In 1975, due to a fire at Bellevue, the program was temporarily relocated to Mosby. The school was scheduled for closure in June 1975, because the coal-fired furnaces did not meet the provisions of the Clean Air Act of 1970. This decision was reversed, and the program was housed at Bowler while Bellevue was being renovated in 1975-77 (furnace replacement, cafeteria and kitchen repairs, and fire damage repairs). During that same period, Bellevue was used by Whitcomb Court School when it had to be vacated due to detection of methane gas in the immediate area. In 1977, in appreciation for the school 's return to the area, the Church Hill Association donated funds to improve Bellevue's playground facilities.

In 1980, Bellevue was one of eight elementary school renovation projects.

There aren’t many Mill records related to the 1980 renovation, but there was a Millwork order placed by Davis Brothers Construction for $51,735 in March 1983.  The school’s website said the renovation was designed by SWA Partnership and cost $320,486

Bellevue Elementary is an attractive and important historic structure and the neighborhood school was mentioned in 2013 about possibly being closed due to a large budget gap that the School Board was facing.  Ultimately it was not closed but it did see some of its service area get rezoned.