I am looking for people or/and their relatives who attended Alexandria, Virginia’s Parker-Gray School from 1920 – 1965. Please see my flyer for my contact information. Parker-GraySchool flyer3SocialMedia. Thanks.
Category: Education
From Slavery to Principal
Snowden School for Boys
Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “From Slavery to Principal” February 28, 2019.
I have been researching John F. Parker, the second principal of Snowden School for Boys for a number of years, I found that his accomplishments and his strength to endure hardship and health issues were extremely courageous.
He was born into slavery on his owner’s plantation in Alexandria. After he was emancipated, he worked for several years before becoming a teacher then a principal. Unfortunately for him and his wife, their only child died before his 10th birthday. John had a brother, William Madison Mason Parker who married Mary Hooe. They had several children. Through his brother’s children and grandchild, John’s legacy is known today. His great-nephews and nieces are the Taylor family, Donald, Charlene, John and Alvin; his Dogan family, Bettie and Thelma (Sugar); his Burke family is Frances Burke; he also has many more relatives and great-great nieces and nephews that hold their heads up high because John was such a great man.
You can read the article, “From Slavery to Principal, from the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 6 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/022719/Alexandria.pdf.
Ellen Elizabeth Carter-Goods – A Special Teacher
1937 Honeymoon Cruise
Behind the scene of the Alexandria Gazette’s story on Ellen Carter-Goods dated September 12, 2018.
Ellen Elizabeth Carter was born on September 21, 1907 in her parents’ home at 614 South Washington Street. Her parents were Douglas Robinson Carter and Elizabeth Campbell. By 1910, the family had moved to 603 South St. Asaph Street. In 1916, the family was living at 821 Gibbon Street. Her father was a skilled carpenter, his occupation was listed in the City Directory as a contractor/builder. He built his own house at 911 Princess Street between the years of 1916-1917. The family was living at the house in 1918.
Ellen was the oldest of ten siblings, only seven lived until adulthood. Between Ellen and her youngest sibling, Alfred Dubois Carter, there was a twenty-year gap. She taught several of her siblings, especially her youngest brother, Alfred. He was in her class at Parker-Gray School.
During the early 20th Century, many women stayed home until they married. Ellen was one of those women. She stayed home until she married Moses Goods, Sr. Also Moses Goods was living at home with his mother in Washington, D.C., when he married Ellen on June 7, 1937. They were married at Roberts Chapel Methodist Church. For their honeymoon, Moses and Ellen went on a cruise. The picture with this blog shows the thirty-year old Ellen on the ship.
Although Ellen’s parents were Methodist, Ellen converted to Catholicism. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. After Ellen and Moses’ honeymoon, they moved to 318 Hopkins Court in Alexandria, VA. After sometime, they moved temporarily to 2719 Sherman Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. In 1950, they moved to 2460 South Lowell Street, Arlington, VA and finally to 420 East Custis Avenue, Alexandria, VA.
You can check out the article, ‘A Special Teacher’ in the Alexandria Gazette Newspaper on pages 12 and 30 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/091218/Alexandria.pdf.
Remembering Parker-Gray School from 1920 – 1965
Behind the scene of the article on Parker-Gray School.
1920 – 1965
Parker-Gray School was established in 1920 in Alexandria, Virginia. The first building was located at 901 Wythe Street where the present day Charles Houston Recreation Center is located. The school had grades 1 through 8. By 1930s, high school classes were added going up to grade 11. The first graduating class was in 1936. In September 1950, Parker-Gray High School moved into their new building at 1207 Madison Street. The last graduating high school class was in 1965. In 1975, the Parker-Gray Alumni Association started to celebrate Parker-Gray School’s history and to award scholarships to descendants of Parker-Gray School.
An article in the Alexandria Gazette Packet dated August 2, 2018, on page 11 gives more details of Parker-Gray School’s humble beginnings. You can read the article at
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/080118/Alexandria.pdf. If you want to attend this year Parker-Gray School’s Alumni Banquet weekend scheduled for August 17 – 19, 2018, please send an e-mail to me with your contact information; I will pass the information to the coordinator of the Parker-Gray Alumni Association.
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