In 1886-87, a sixteen-classroom, two-story brick school was built by City engineer Lt. Col. W. E. Cutshaw "to provide the needs for freed African children of Richmond and is said to be the only one retaining much of the original "interior and exterior character," and has been described as one of the best examples of this period still publicly owned.
The Moore Street School Foundation, a 501 C3, was created on March 24, 2021 with the purpose of acquiring and redeveloping the Moore Street School building.
The vision of our foundation is as follows:
Objective: To repurpose the decaying Moore Street School into a center for profitable learning and personal development opportunities for multiple communities.
Challenge: To give the community a focal point it will respect, admire and utilize. To create an entity that does not duplicate services readily available elsewhere. To generate community support and attract interest, endorsement and participation
Concept: The end use of the space would be a self-sustaining operation unique to Richmond as a performing arts training center for all ages as well as an event space and meeting place.
Carver Elementary School and Moore Street School are currently recorded as one property consisting of (4) separate property addresses. The buildings share utility services including electricity, water and gas. The Moore Street School Foundation recommends that a new property line be established that allows for the separation of Moore Street School from Carver Elementary.
Timely action is paramount in that the building is decaying quickly, and the further the decay the more the cost to renovate thereby reducing its appeal even more. For these reasons, it is recommended that the City sell the Moore Street School Building and property to The Moore Street School Foundation.
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The Moore Street School, totaling 21,600 gross square feet, can be reused in its entirety through comprehensive renovations and improvements. The building is currently unoccupied and unused, and although minimally maintained, it is deteriorating due to water infiltration and temperature changes and moisture associated with an unconditioned building.
If the building is to be reuşed, we recommend that immediate provisions be made to repair the roof, associated built-in gutter and any other elements which are allowing water into the building. In addition we recommend that the interior doors be kept in an open position and that fans are provided to allow for air movement; a dehumidifier in the basement level would also be beneficial.
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The Moore Street façade and Harrison Street elevations are primary, however, the DHR and NPS reviewers will closely review any proposed changes to the building's exterior. Changes to masonry openings should be minimized. The proposed new west entry is likely to be approved with the current strategy of separating the new porch, ramp and stairs from the historic masonry wall.
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