Bruton Heights School: A Beacon of Community and Education
Step into the history of a place at the heart of Williamsburg, Virginia's African American community for nearly three decades.
Bruton Heights School students and faculty members in the Bruton Heights School Auditorium (Ca. late 1940s-early 1950s) by Albert W. Durant The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The heart of a community
For nearly three decades, Bruton Heights School was the heart of the African American community of Williamsburg, Virginia. A place where people came together, it is a proud symbol of what this community achieved in the era preceding the Civil Rights Movement.
Public School, No. 2, 1892 (1892) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Black education after the Civil War
Despite many barriers, African Americans have always placed a high premium on education. After the abolition of slavery in the United States in 1865, the doors to formal education opened. Segregation laws led to separate schools for white and Black children.
James City County Training School (Ca. 1929) by D. N. Davidson The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The need for a new school
By the 1930s, the African American school in Williamsburg needed extensive repairs. The community began advocating and planning for a new school.
A dream realized
In 1940, Bruton Heights School opened its doors, made possible by dedicated community efforts and funding from the Rockefeller family, the federal Public Works Administration, the city of Williamsburg, and Colonial Williamsburg. It was a state-of-the-art facility for its time.
Bruton Heights School Dedication Program (1941) The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Classes began in September 1940, with 300 Black and white guests attending the school’s dedication on May 25, 1941. The dedication program read: “In the fullest sense it represents a community center where people may come together.”
A varied curriculum
Initially, the Bruton Heights curriculum combined academic subjects with a traditional vocational education, with an emphasis on “how to do things.” Educators boasted that the school encompassed "the best plan of Negro education which has ever been developed in this country up to the present time."
Bruton Heights School Faculty (Ca. 1950s) by Albert W. Durant The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The school was one of the first state high schools to offer electives, and college prep was integrated into the curriculum by the 1950s. Teachers were often graduates of top Black colleges like Hampton Institute, Virginia State College, and Howard University.
Bruton Heights School Students Assemble Holiday Baskets (Ca. 1950s) by Albert W. Durant The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Students serving their community
Bruton Heights was considered a model school, not only for the education it provided but also for its focus on community service. Former students proudly remember Bruton Heights’s emphasis on community service, with projects ranging from home repairs to community beautification.
Sports and community spirit
Athletics were a huge part of school life, and students participated in activities like football, basketball, baseball, tennis, marching band, baton twirling, and cheerleading. In 1960, Bruton Heights students held their homecoming parade on the main streets of Williamsburg for the first time in school history.
Bruton Heights School Prom (Ca. 1950s) by Albert W. Durant The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
A community center
Bruton Heights also was a central hub for social gatherings. Dances, meetings, events, and celebrations all took place within its walls. African Americans in Williamsburg regularly attended events at Bruton Heights.
A strong sense of pride
Bruton Heights engendered a strong sense of ownership and pride among students, their parents, and the community at large. At the school, the community had access to a clinic with a full-time nurse, a library, workshops, a gymnasium, night classes for adults, and space for meetings and other recreational activities.
Bruton Heights during World War II
During World War II, Bruton Heights served as a USO center for Black sailors and Black soldiers stationed nearby, providing recreation and support. The USO program grew so much that in August 1944 alone some ten thousand people attended USO activities at the school.
Bruton Heights Students Arrive at Berkley High School (1966) by Katherine Wetzel The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Integration and change
The legal battle for integrated schools in the 1960s led to significant changes at Bruton Heights, which became an integrated grammar school in September 1968. This shift redefined the school’s role and purpose within the community.
Bruton Heights School Alma Mater (1997) by All Together and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The loss of Bruton Heights School
While recognizing that integration brought “equality of education” to all of Williamsburg’s school age children, local African Americans mourned the loss of Bruton Heights and its central role in the community. Long after integration, a resident commented, “We lost a piece of ourselves."
Bruton Heights School (1997) by David M. Doody The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
A new chapter
After Bruton Heights School closed in the late 1980s, it was marked for demolition but the African American communities’ efforts saved the building. Now, the restored and refurbished school is part of the Bruton Heights School Education Center of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Values that endure
Today, Bruton Heights is a symbol of resilience and achievement. Many lives were shaped by their time at the school, impacting generations of students and community members. The values of education, service, and community instilled at Bruton Heights continue to have a lasting impact.
Dive deeper into the archives and stories of Bruton Heights School and uncover the full impact of this institution’s history in this digital exhibit
by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
. Learn more about the photography of African American photographer Albert Durant, many of whose photographs are featured in this story, here
.
Learn more about Colonial Williamsburg at colonialwilliamsburg.org
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