Auditorium Redesign​

HB Woodlawn Secondary Program / Stratfod Junior High School

Arlington, Virginia​

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Description

Built in 1949 and integrated in 1959, Stratfod Junior High School became the focus of the civil rights movement when four African-American students integrated the school, making it the first in Virginia school to be desegregated. ​The school's role in the civil rights movement, including the auditorium itself as a debate hall, warranted cultural preservation.

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To economize on cost, existing seats were removed, painted, upholstered, and reinstalled. The lighting grid and sound systems were upgraded, a new thrust and new drapes were installed. ​A run of four original seats was restored for a commemorative display in the lobby. Finally, the auditorium was dedicated and renamed, the Jones, Thompson, Newman, Deskins Auditorium,  for the four students who had integrated the school in 1959. ​