High schools:After decades with one, now we have two

Culpeper’s first public high school (right) looked more like a cathedral than an educational institution. With its pointed roof decor and arched doorways, Culpeper Graded School No. 1 could have easily passed as a place of worship rather than a schoolhouse. This school was built in 1892 on North East Street next to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. In the fall of 1905, four grades were added, bringing the enrollment to 283.

In 1916, a new building was built next to it to house the high school students (above left).  This school cost $18,500. In 1928, the original gothic-style high school was torn down to make room for the larger and more modern Ann Wingfield Elementary School (above right).

In the 1940s, construction began on yet another building for the high school (below left), which now houses the school division’s central office and Floyd T. Binns Middle School.  This $700,000 school held 513 students and featured 20 classrooms, two well-equipped science rooms, a five-room home economics suite, large gym, cafeteria and library. North Carolina-based Goode Construction company completed the building in 1949. 

Twenty years later, CCHS moved to its existing location on Achievement Drive (bottom middle). By the early 2000s, the school had become overpopulated, and in 2006 the annex between CCHS and adjacent Culpeper Middle School opened. Still, overcrowding persisted, so, for the first time in its history, the county made plans to build a second high school. Just two days ago, Eastern View (bottom right) — officially opened its doors and a new era of public education began for the students of Culpeper County.