The Historic John D. Bassett High School

The Historic John D. Bassett High School. . Constructed in 1947-1948 in the town of Bassett in Henry County, Virginia, the school officially opened in 1949. It is an excellent example of a two-story Georgian-Revival style school built after World War II. It is the last school to be constructed in the state of Virginia with ornate exterior, thus marking the end of an era of school design. The three-bay entrances provide public access to the two community spaces on the interior - the Auditorium at one end, and the Gymnasium at the other., The central corridor on the first floor connects with the front and rear corridors to form a "B" for Bassett, when seen from the air. The spaces of the "B" also create two beautiful courtyards for an outside atmosphere. The science lab, the library, and home economics (2,800 square feet with its accompanying suite of rooms) have been retained close to their original condition. In 1961, additional classrooms were added to the back of the school, bringing the total square footage to 85,000., The school continued to serve as a high school until 1979, when it was converted to a middle school. bue to consolidation of schools in Henry County, Bassett Middle School closed permanently in 2004, and the property was sold to EMI Imaging in January 2005., EMI Imaging is owned by the David E. Wright Family. The building is now a multi-purpose facility that is the corporate headquarters for EMI Imaging, EMI Recycle, and EMI Security. EMI uses a portion of this building to securely house and retrieve digital information for government, business, and medical facilities., In 2014, the facility included a Visitor Welcome and Event Center for community social functions, training centers, and an incubator for businesses. This includes spaces available for rent, such as: a 585 seat auditorium, a 600 seat gymnasium, a library for up to 125, a dining hall for up to 300, and various classrooms with seating for approximately 50 in each classroom.