King & Queen County Historical Society Presents “Central High School – New Beginnings”

The King and Queen Historical Society invites members and the public to its Third Quarter meeting on Sunday, July 23, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the King & Queen County Administration Building located on Allen’s Circle, King & Queen Courthouse, VA, 23085. Ms. Ellen White will present the program “Central High School – New Beginnings”, a narrative of the development of Central High from conception to completion and her experiences as a student. This was a time of “firsts” for the county and for Ms. White. In 1951 Central High was the first centralized high school in the county. It was the first new school built for black students in almost 23 years. New curriculum and extracurricular activities were available to many for the first time. Ms. White entered in the eighth grade and graduated in 1956 in one of the first graduating classes. It was the first time she attended a multi-room/multi-teacher school.

Ms. White is a native of King and Queen, a retired Vice President of Chase Manhattan Bank, N. Y. and a former President of the King and Queen Historical Society. She was one of the volunteers who helped establish the Courthouse Tavern Museum and today continues as a volunteer.

The Courthouse Tavern Museum will be open at the completion of the program and refreshments served there. The Museum exhibit “Public Schools in King & Queen County – 1869-1963” complements this program.

The Museum is now open without appointment on Fridays for the hours between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. or by appointment at other times. Use the Contact Us page on the Museum website kingandqueenmuseum.org to make an appointment to visit. This website contains much information about the Society and its Tavern Museum.