Great Bridge East in Chesapeake, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Great Bridge Schoolhouse Monument
Photographed By Cynthia L. Clark, January 20, 2018
1. Great Bridge Schoolhouse Monument
In 1906, Norfolk County built a four room brick school house, “The Great Bridge School”, to educate elementary and high school students. Graduating its first class in 1911, the name was changed to Great Bridge High and Grammar School in 1913. The building served several purposes over the years. Many memories were made by thousands of students who attended class in the school.
Erected 2017 by Norfolk County Historical Society of Chesapeake.
Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.
Location. 36° 42.756′ N, 76° 14.224′ W. Marker is in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is in Great Bridge East. Marker is on Mt. Pleasant Road (County Route 165) near Woodford Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chesapeake VA 23322, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Southern Branch Chapel / Battle of Great Bridge / Wilson Family (approx. ¼ mile away); Battle of Great Bridge (approx. 0.6 miles away); Planning a Canal (approx. 0.6 miles away); Norfolk County Almshouse (approx. 0.6 miles away); Battle of Great Bridge DAR Monument
this page online
More about this monument. This monument commemorates the four-room schoolhouse that stood on the corner of Great Bridge Boulevard and Mt. Pleasant Road in the early 1900s. It was dedicated on September 30, 2017 during a memorial service for the late Helen Long Spruill, a former president of the Norfolk County Historical Society of Chesapeake, Virginia (NCHS).
The building, a historical landmark that Spruill had fought to save, was razed in October 2014. Two years later, in September 2016, Spruill passed away.
According to The Historian, NCHS’s newsletter, the service was attended by many people, including members of NCHS and 25 of Spruill’s family. NCHS, headquartered in the Wallace Memorial History Room in Chesapeake Central Library, exhibited its commitment to preserve and share the city’s history by erecting this monument.
The name, “Great Bridge School,” bestowed upon at least two other
Photographed By Cynthia L. Clark, January 20, 2018
2. Great Bridge Schoolhouse Monument, facing north westward.
The shopping center pictured in the background is on S. Battlefield Boulevard at Johnstown Road.
Also see . . . Norfolk County Historical Society of Chesapeake, Virginia. (Submitted on January 23, 2018, by Cynthia L. Clark of Suffolk, Virginia.)
Photographed By Cynthia L. Clark, January 20, 2018
3. Great Bridge Schoolhouse Monument, facing north eastward.
Pictured in the background is the curve in Mt. Pleasant Road at its junction with Woodford Drive.
Photographed By Cynthia L. Clark, January 20, 2018
4. Great Bridge Schoolhouse Monument, facing west.
A former Great Bridge School at 369 S. Battlefield Boulevard is pictured in the background.
Photographed By Cynthia L. Clark, January 20, 2018
5. Detail of the school’s photo implanted on the monument.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 23, 2018, by Cynthia L. Clark of Suffolk, Virginia. This page has been viewed 615 times since then and 115 times this year. Last updated on February 3, 2018, by Cynthia L. Clark of Suffolk, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 23, 2018, by Cynthia L. Clark of Suffolk, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
