Hume School
When the Hume School was built, Arlington was still a rural, agricultural-based community.
The Hume School was built in 1891. The Queen Anne-style building was designed by B. Stanley Simmons, an area architect. The school was named for Frank Hume, a local civic and business leader, who donated adjacent land for a playground. It was an active public school for 67 years, closing in 1958.
When the Hume School was built, Arlington was still a rural, agricultural-based community. Only about 4,000 people lived in the county, but it was already outgrowing its first school buildings.
The county hired architects to design several larger brick schoolhouses. By 1900, the county had eleven public schools - six for white children and five for African Americans.
Between 40-50 students could attend the Hume School's eight grades at any time. As the neighborhood grew, the local population exceeded the school's capacity. Nellie Custis Elementary School was built a few blocks away in 1928 and held almost 300 students. In 1956, Arlington's school board closed the Hume School due to violations of a new fire safety code.
The Arlington Historical Society, also founded in 1956, led a successful community campaign to save the building for use as a local museum. In 1960, the Hume School was deeded to the Arlington Historical Society.
The goal of the Arlington Historical Society is to conduct research and to preserve and disseminate knowledge relating to the history, archaeology, material culture, and geographical and socio-economic development of Arlington County, Virginia.
The Hume School is a designated Arlington County Landmark in the National Register of Historic Places.
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