Tag: Hallowell School

Sarah A. Gray

Behind the scenes of the article titled, “Sarah A. Gray: Principal of Hallowell School.”

Sarah A. Gray was one of two people that Parker-Gray School was named after. She was a remarkable woman who was educated as well as a talented pianist and an organist.

Sarah A. Gray

Due to the death of her father, William Gray and two lawsuits, Sarah started experiencing health issues. Her father, William Gray died in 1891.

Sarah filed two lawsuits against Reverend Robert H. Robinson’s son, Reverend Robert B. Robinson, for slander. The other lawsuit was against her stepmother and relative, Alfred Peters concerning her father’s estate. Due to these heavy burdens, Sarah died in 1893 – just two years after her father.

A detailed article is available in the Alexandria Times dated, September 9, 2021 on, “Sarah A. Gray: Principal of Hallowell School on pages 17 and 18 at

https://alextimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/September-9-2021.pdf. A small correction in the article is that Sarah’s father died in 1891 not 1892. In addition, the above article incorrectly had Sarah teaching at the public school in 1871. She started in the 1870 school year.

Hallowell School – 1893 Teachers’ Census

Hallowell Public Black School for Girls

George L. Seaton built another School in the City of Alexandria for black girls.  The Freedmen Bureau funded the Hallowell School in 1867.   The basic design of the school was similar to the Snowden School.  The school was located on North Alfred Street, between Princess and Oronoco Streets. 

Prior to Sarah A. Gray becoming the principal of Hallowell School, Mrs. Matilda A. Madden was the principal and her assistant teachers were Mrs. Jane A. Crouch and Miss Harriett Douglas.

Hallowell was sometime called “Lee School, just like Snowden School was known by another name.  It is unknown why Hallowell was referred to as the Lee School.  When the City of Alexandria took over the Black Girls School, the School was named Hallowell after a white educator in Alexandria.

Alexandria Black Girls School
1893 Hallowell School Teacher Census

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 Hallowell School:

 Mrs. Louisa R. Cabainss – 1906 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC

Mrs. Rosetta L. Holland – 315 South Royal Street, Alexandria, VA

Miss Margaret E. Darnell – 117 South West Street, Alexandria, VA

Miss Bessie K. Spriggs – 602 South Washington Street, Alexandria, VA

Miss Sarah J. Derrick – 610 Gibbon Street, Alexandria, VA

Miss Sarah A. Gray – Pleasant View, Alexandria County

Mrs. Harriet E. Thornton, Substitute – 323 North Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA

Miss Maggie A. White – 1016 Queen Street, Alexandria, VA

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