Bank Moves Va. Schoolhouse
By Margaret Foster | From Online Only | Jan. 29, 2007
The Jan. 7 move
Credit: Fairfax County
In northern Virginia, a schoolhouse built in 1897 moved across town this month so that a bank can build a branch at a busy intersection in Oakton, Va.
"This project started as an idea put forth by the community when the property was for sale," said Lynda Smyth, a member of Fairfax County's board of supervisors, in an e-mail. "It took a lot of coordination and dedication by many individuals and organizations to get us here today."
Bethesa, Md.-based Chevy Chase Bank, which bought the school property last year, paid for the 0.3-mile move and will fund the building's restoration—about $750,000 total.
The Oakton Schoolhouse became a hardware store in 1912. Another store, Appalachian Outfitters, occupied the building until it closed in 2003.
The bank plans to plant a tree and put a plaque on the site. The new bank will open in several months. The Oakton Schoolhouse will become an interpretive center at its new site, a 10-acre city park.
The Fairfax County Park Authority oversaw the Jan. 7 move.
"Now we can celebrate the preservation of this landmark and begin the restoration process," Smith said.
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