Snowden Public Black School for Boys
Shortly after the civil war in 1867, the Freedmen Bureau commissioned George L. Seaton to build two schools for the African Americans in the City of Alexandria. George, a highly respected African American carpenter built the Snowden School for boys located at Pitt Street between Gibbon and Franklin Streets. The school was a two-story built frame building with six classrooms.
The first principal of Snowden School was William F. Powell and his assistant teachers were Miss Sarah A. Gray and Miss Carrie Claggett. Snowden School had a Black Board of Trustees that continued to monitor the Black Education in the City of Alexandria.
Prior to the Snowden School becoming the Black Boys Public School in Alexandria, it was known as the, “Seaton School.” Once the City of Alexandria took over the School building, the School was named Snowden, after a white educator in Alexandria, but many people referred to the Schoolhouse as the “Seaton Building.”
Every school year, the State of Virginia required all counties to provide a school census of their teachers. The 1893 School year for the City of Alexandria School listed the following teachers for Snowden School:
Mr. John F. Parker – 810 North Columbus Street, Alexandria, VA
Mr. William H. Madella – 217 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA
Mr. Patrick H. Lumpkin – 810 Queen Street, Alexandria, VA
Mr. Norman B. Pinn – 816 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA
Mr. Richard A. Diggs – 325 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA
Mr. Ros(z)ier D. Lyles – 405 North Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA
Mr. Robert B. Thompson, Substitute – 500 block of North Columbus Street
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