Virtual Tour

Virtual Tour

Ralph Bunche High School is located at 10139 James Madison Parkway (Route 301), King George County, Virginia. The one-story brick building, constructed in 1949 as a high school for the African-American students in King George County, replaced the King George Training School (formerly known as Edgehill Training School), which was built in 1916.

View Ralph Bunche High School’s history in a collection of photographs, including those taken while walking around the grounds.

Ralph Bunche High School
ralph bunche high school tour
This roadside marker was installed in front of the Ralph Bunche High School site in May 2013, in the presence of numerous Ralph Bunche Alumni Association members, dignitaries and members of the community.
Roadside Historic Marker Ralph Bunche High School
A scene from the unveiling of the roadside historic marker at Ralph Bunche High School in 2013
ralph bunche high school tour
This is the address marker at the roadside entrance of Ralph Bunche High School, located on King George Highway near mile marker 133. The metal loop on the side of the pillar used to connect a chain that blocked the driveway when the school grounds were closed.
ralph bunche high school tour
A United States Geodetic Survey marker sign that visitors will find on the grounds just inside the main entrance.
ralph bunche high school tour
United States Geodetic Survey marker past the main entrance. Some mapping enthusiasts might find this feature to be of particular interest on the site.
ralph bunche high school tour
Remnants of a wood sign that was installed after the 1968 closing of Ralph Bunche High School. In the years that followed, the building was used by the local School Board and Sheriff’s Office.
ralph bunche high school tour
Remnants of a foundation of one of the buildings of the old training school that stood on the site prior to the construction of Ralph Bunche High School. Once the high school was constructed, the training school became the Ralph Bunche Elementary School for children in grades 1–7.
ralph bunche high school tour
School buses would pull up here. Vehicles might have been old and rickety, but students arrived with excitement and enthusiasm.
ralph bunche high school tour
After the school’s closure in 1968, the Board of Education temporarily used some of the space, leaving behind office furniture and equipment.
ralph bunche high school tour
Wood paneling was added during the building’s use by the Board of Education.
Ralph Bunche High School interior
The gymnasium and auditorium that had been used to store ice melt, old files and empty cardboard boxes.
Ralph Bunche High School interior
The state of the ceilling throughout much of the building after years of neglect
Ralph Bunche High School interior
Former classrooms that had been used for storage of old maintenance supplies
Ralph Bunche High School interior
Equipment cluttering the hallways
Ralph Bunche High School interior
Another former classroom used for storage
ralph bunche high school tour
Through these two windows, the Principal’s office had a bird’s-eye view of all the happenings.
ralph bunche high school tour
In the beginning, the original entrance doors were solid wood and it was not uncommon to see the Principal standing at the door at the opening of each school day! : )
ralph bunche high school tour
This National Historic Landmark plaque was installed in 2006.
ralph bunche high school tour
Alternate view of the National Historic Landmark plaque.
ralph bunche high school tour
ralph bunche high school tour
ralph bunche high school tour
Side entrance to the gymnasium, which was the main gathering place for sports, assemblies, movies and graduation exercises.
ralph bunche high school tour
Placed above the gymnasium entrance and visible from the highway, the building’s name block reads “Ralph Bunche High School 1949.”
ralph bunche high school tour
After Ralph Bunche High School closed and the building was no longer used by county officials, some of the building’s original windows were bricked over.
ralph bunche high school tour
Side view of the gymnasium
ralph bunche high school tour
The windows of the boys’ and girls’ showers and locker rooms have also been bricked over.
ralph bunche high school tour
County officials installed fences to discourage trespassing.
ralph bunche high school tour
This side view of the old Industrial Arts building shows the school’s athletic field with present-day soccer field in the background.
ralph bunche high school tour
The Industrial Arts building was used for shop classes. After the school closed, the county used this building for maintenance equipment storage.
ralph bunche high school tour
Auxiliary buildings and athletic fields are located at the rear of the 33-acre property.
ralph bunche high school tour
Rear view of the Industrial Arts building and the high school
The darker color brick represents the 1957 two story addition to the school. The lighter color brick is the original one story school constructed in 1949.
ralph bunche high school tour
Closer view of the back side of the 1957 addition
ralph bunche high school tour
The old cafeteria area
ralph bunche high school tour
The northern side of the 1957 two-story addition
ralph bunche high school tour
The side entrance to the 1957 addition. The hallway beyond these doors leads to the lower level where the old cafeteria (pictured above) was located. The interior of this structure is leaky and moldy from years of neglect.
ralph bunche high school tour
ralph bunche high school tour
The northern side of the original 1949 building
ralph bunche high school tour
Alternate view of the north-facing side of the 1949 original building, showing the James Madison Parkway (Route 301) in the background.
ralph bunche high school tour
ralph bunche high school tour
Dr. Ralph Bunche diplomat
Dr. Ralph Bunche

Become a Member

Join an Association that is committed to developing a landmark historic site in King George County, preserving the educational legacy of the civil rights movement in the United States and providing valuable assistance and resources to others. Your membership gives you access to organization news, a variety of communications, events and a member only portal. Join us today!

Join Now
NAACP lawyers Hill Martin civil rights

Watch The Road to School Desegregation Documentary

Produced by the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association and King George County School Board, The Road to School Desegregation is a documentary video detailing the struggle for educational equality in King George County, Virginia and across the United States. Deepen your knowledge of this part of our nation’s vital history and support the mission of the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association in the process!

WATCH VIDEO

TAKE ACTION

Your contributions and involvement with the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association directly fund historic preservation, community education and the college scholarship award. Find out more about how you can get involved and make an important difference.

GET STARTED
Scroll to Top