Bellevue Elementary School
Richmond, VA
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.
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