The ceremony is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and will be followed by self-guided tours of the renovated cultural and educational complex.
Items for the school’s museum display case are being collected the week of November 1st in advance of the unveiling ceremony. For more information on the display case, please contact Gloria Turner at (804) 457-4290 or Calvin Hopkins at (804) 457-3132.
In 2015, a Central High School Committee, comprised of members from the community, was formed by the county and charged with evaluating sections of the Central High School Building and making recommendations for its re-use. The Central High School building, located at 2748 Dogtown Road, originally served as an African American High School facility. The Committee ultimately recommended a proposal to preserve and reuse the historic building, create a community facility for citizens, and expand programmatic space for Parks and Recreation.
Renovation and restoration work on the original 1938 building and subsequent 1953 additions began in 2016 and was completed in 2018. Renovations included restoring the school’s original theater, classrooms, and creation of dedicated display space for Central High School memorabilia. The hallways are lined with photos from Central High School and a kiosk displays digitized yearbooks from the school as well.
In 2019, Goochland’s Central High School Committee and associated work on the Central High Cultural and Educational Complex were recognized with a 2019 Excellence in Virginia Government Award for Community Enhancement from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Wilder School of Government.
The community is encouraged to join Goochland County on November 6th for the latest recognition of the Central High School facility, which is bringing new life to the county in ways that very few thought possible. The School, once a symbol of division, has become a beacon for community unity.
For more information about the event, please contact Goochland County Parks and Recreation at (804) 556-5854.
