Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation, Inc.

The Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit educational foundation organized and incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia to advance education of young men through the operation of Fishburne Military School.

The school, founded in 1879 by Professor James Abbott Fishburne in Waynesboro, Virginia, is the oldest and smallest military school in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Continuously holding the United States Army JROTC Honor Unit rating since 1929, Fishburne is the first school in Virginia accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The Board of Trustees is a self-perpetuating organization consisting of up to thirty men and women dedicated to the "whole man" concept and to carrying out the school's mission.

"The mission of Fishburne Military School is to provide each cadet with a healthy physical and mental environment, a sound academic foundation along with leadership training – for a better understanding about the obligations of honor, citizenship and self-discipline."

Established in 1951, the Foundation is the guardian of over 130 years of the history, spirit and honor of Fishburne and her cadets, faculty, staff and friends, past and present.

FMS operating management history

Historical background

James A. Fishburne was born in Waynesboro, Virginia, on April 10, 1850. Of German descent, his family immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1749. His grandfather brought the family to Staunton in 1784. Daniel Fishburne, James' father, moved to Waynesboro in 1819 as a young man. At that time, Waynesboro was a small settlement on the stage road from Staunton to Charlottesville. As the town grew, Daniel prospered as the owner of a flourishing general store. James was the eleventh of fourteen children. The Civil War interrupted James' happy childhood years and brought tragedy to his family. He was an independent and resourceful young man, however, and by the age of sixteen had made enough money to enter Washington College (now Washington and Lee University). The four years he spent there (1866–1870), under General Robert E. Lee, were to have a profound influence on his life. With James' desire to become a teacher and to open his own school, as well as General Lee's encouragement, James was soon to see his dream materialize. The General's love of duty, honor, and his fellow man is clearly seen in the principles on which the Fishburne Military School was founded.

The Proprietorship, 1879–1916

James Fishburne soon embarked on a teaching career that would take him to Oxford, North Carolina, and New Roe, Kentucky. By 1878, he had enough money to start a school and returned to Waynesboro with his bride to realize his dream. With the help of his sister, Fishburne opened a day school called The Waynesboro High School. The first class of thirteen boys and girls, was held in 1879 in the upstairs of the old Taylor Building on Main Street. The following year, he expanded into the abandoned Waynesboro Academy Building, hired his first instructor, and made bids for out of town students.

Beginning with the third session, the school admitted only boys. By this year, a challenging curriculum had been established: three foreign languages, eight courses in science and mathematics, English, history, geography, and nine other courses.

It was also in 1880 that Professor Fishburne began the construction of his home located on the hill where Fishburne Military School now stands. He bought 1 ½ acres from Elizabeth Evans, wife of Joshua Evans.1 A year later, Professor Fishburne added approximately two more acres to his property.2 Professor Fishburne's home was completed in 1882, and the school moved to its present site. His two-story house with full basement accommodated boarding students. Instructors and students roomed, ate, and studied here. Local histories indicate that this was the first house in the county with running water and a bath served by water pumped from a Wayne Avenue spring.3 The name of the school became Fishburne Home School, and this same year, construction of the wooden Barracks began.

During the next few years, the school took on much of its military character, though military uniforms were not yet required. The wooden Barracks were to be enlarged three times before they were razed in 1917, upon the completion of the fireproof Barracks. Although very simple in design, the original Barracks Building was decorated with ornamentation suggestive of the Gothic style.

In 1883, a military school graduate was hired as drill master, and he instructed a program of close order drill. The next year, Captain I.H. Saunders, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, became commandant and the assistant to Professor Fishburne. Military uniforms were then required, students became cadets, and the institution became Fishburne Military School.4 The military approach to education provided a disciplined and conducive environment for learning. Cadets learned their rights and privileges, as well as their duties and responsibilities. Professor Fishburne's aims for the school were to prepare his students physically and mentally, while equipping them "for college, university, or practical life." 5

Fishburne Military School became one of the first two schools in Virginia to be accredited by the stringent Southern Association of Secondary Schools. This honor was bestowed in 1897. Even today, Fishburne boasts an unbroken record of membership in this important and select educational association, making it a unique example in Virginia.

In 1901, Morgan H. Hudgins, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, joined Fishburne Military School as the Commandant of Cadets and Associate Principle to Professor Fishburne. Morgan Hudgins' tenure with the school was to last fifty-one years. A strong and able man, he led the school through periods of growth and substantial development in its military training.

The Corporation, 1916 – 1951

It was apparent to Professor Fishburne that a modern, fireproof facility would be required if the school were to continue its place in the forefront of secondary education. He invited outstanding and successful businessmen of the community to invest in a private stock corporation that would acquire the school and fund the necessary improvements. The school was incorporated in 1916. The Staunton architect T.J. Collins was hired and construction of the new Barracks began soon. The mess hall/chapel/swimming pool wing and the kitchen were added in 1919 and 1921, respectively. A wooden frame gymnasium was also built behind the Barracks in 1919. The old frame Barracks were torn down in 1917 forming a spacious parapet (drill area) in front of the new Barracks. The large field that occupies the eastern portion of the Fishburne property was graded and leveled for use as a parade/athletic field.

Also in 1919, an Infantry Unit of the Reserve Officers Training Corps was granted to the school by the War Department. This allowed for an active duty Army officer to be stationed at the school for three-year tours of duty during which he, along with other Army personnel, conducted classes in military training. This Infantry Unit system would last until the mid-1970s. The War Department, renamed the Department of Defense in 1940's, continues to have jurisdiction over the ROTC program at Fishburne.

In 1921, the west wing of the Barracks was completed. On Armistrice Day of the same year, James Fishburne died peacefully at his home. A remarkable and dedicated man, his last conscious words were a prayer for "my boys." 6

Colonel Hudgins succeeded Professor Fishburne as principal. For the next thirty-one years, under Hudgins' leadership, Fishburne Military School was to achieve great success in academic, military, as well as extracurricular activities. In 1924, the Fishburne Cadets Corps was first rated an honor military school under the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program of the U.S. Army. Fishburne has never failed to achieve this honor and is distinguished as the only Junior ROTC school in the country with such a record.

In 1939, fire destroyed the frame gymnasium, and the school launched an effort to build the Administration Building, incorporating the Fishburne home. The school again called upon the T.J. Collins firm to design the structure. The building was completed in 1940, and dedicated by Judge C.G. Quesenbery at commencing exercises that May. This new building included the administrative unit, the memorial foyer, and the library. The gymnasium in the rear was fully equipped with a rifle and team dressing room. The Foundation, 1951 – Present

By the late 1940s, it was apparent that the school's future lay in growth and development as a nonprofit educational foundation. The year 1951 proved to be critical for Fishburne. Mounting losses and unwillingness of investment of the necessary private capital forced the stockholders to offer the school for sale. The local government purchased the school with the intentions of transforming it into the Waynesboro City Building. Local civic leaders, viewing Fishburne Military School as an integral part of Waynesboro's heritage and a valuable community asset, along with a small group of friends and alumni formed an organization that was able to purchase the school from the city a few months later, thus allowing Fishburne to continue the uninterrupted record of educational service. This nonprofit organization, called the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation, was chartered to operate school in perpetuity.

Although Fishburne Military School has changed with the times, its mission remains committed to Professor Fishburne's desire to make Fishburne cadets "well equipped for the duties and responsibilities of life, and above all else, to maintain a high standard of honor and integrity in Corps of Cadets."

Fishburne Military School

FMS heads of school

PROFESSOR JAMES ABBOTT FISHBURNE Principal 1879-1913

COLONEL MORGAN H. HUDGINS Superintendent 1913-1952

COLONEL JOHN C. MOORE Superintendent 1952-1955

COLONEL EDWARD P. CHILDS Superintendent 1955-1964

COLONEL EDWARD B. YOUNG, JR. Superintendent 1964-1973

COLONEL FRANK J. STONE, USA (RET) Superintendent 1973-1977

From 1977 through 1986 Colonel Robert C. Miller, Headmaster; Colonel Stanley A. Harris, Commandant, who retired in 1982; and Robert B. Kerby, Business Manager and later Vice President and General Manager, shared the school administration.

COLONEL ROBERT C. MILLER Superintendent 1986-1996

MAJOR GENERAL JAMES M. LYLE, USA (RET) Superintendent 1996-1997

COLONEL OSCAR H. BEASLEY, III, FMS Superintendent 1997-2001

From 2001 to 2004 Colonel William Sedr, FMS, Headmaster, was acting head of school reporting to a special Operating Committee of the Board of Trustees consisting of Mr. Edward C. Moroney, III '73 (Chairman), Mr. Carl W. Kerby '55, and Mr. Eugene M. LeFloch, Esq. '60.

BG WILLIAM W. ALEXANDER, Jr., VA Superintendent and President 2004-2008

From June 2008 through January 2009 Mrs. Susan J. Johnson, Assistant Superintendent, was acting head of school

COLONEL ROY F. ZINSER, USA (RET) Superintendent and President 2009-2012

COLONEL GARY MORRISON, VA Superintendent 2012–present

Fishburne Military School architectural history and significance

The histories of Augusta County and its academies are closely interwoven. Between 1742 and 1884, Augusta County witnessed the establishment of eleven academies and classical schools. Fishburne Military School is significant as the only one of these private institutions to remain in operation. The founder of the school, James A. Fishburne, was student and protégé of Robert E. Lee during the Confederate general's service as President of Washington College. It was Lee who inspired Fishburne to become an educator and who instilled in him his basic ideas and principles of secondary education. In the tradition of A.J. Davis' Virginia Military Institute, Staunton architect T.J. Collins designed the Barracks of Fishburne Home School in the Gothic style, then popularly used for other Virginia military schools and academics. His sons William and Samuel Collins continued the tradition with their designs of several wings to the Barracks and the Administrative Building. The school complex constitutes a major architectural landmark for the city of Waynesboro.

Fishburne Military School is located in the center of Waynesboro, Virginia, in the central Shenandoah Valley. The late 19th and early 20th century's commercial core of the city borders Fishburne to the north and east, with primarily residential developments dating largely to the early 20th century to the south and west. Two large, imposing brick veneered buildings distinguish the Fishburne School complex – the Barracks, constructed between 1916 and 1921, and the Administration Building, begun in 1939 and completed in 1940. T.J. Collins and Sons, a prominent Staunton architectural firm, designed the two buildings in the Gothic style popular for military schools. Both were constructed of local brick with Indiana limestone highlights and steel reinforcement. The buildings stand side by side overlooking a large parade/athletic field. A monumental concrete stairway leads down to this field from the parapet, or drill area, in front of the Barracks. The nine-acre complex also includes tennis courts west of the Administrative Building and a driveway and parking area in front of the two buildings. Architectural Analysis

The present Barracks Building was constructed in four stages. T.J. Collins designed the east (front), south, and west sides of the quadrangle which were completed in 1917. This structure was built directly behind the original frame barracks (ca.1882 – 1889), which were razed upon completion of this first part of the fireproof barracks. In 1919, the south side was extended to form the mess hall/chapel/swimming pool wing, which was subsequently enlarged with a kitchen wing in 1921. The west side of the Barracks, designed by T. J. Collins' sons William and Samuel, was also finished in 1921. The resulting quadrangle illustrates a form commonly found at military schools in the Valley, including Virginia Military Institute and the former Augusta Military Academy.

The three-story Barracks, which serves primarily as the cadet' residence, has its main entrance on the east side facing the parade field. A projecting central pavilion crowned with a battlement roof provides the focal point of this façade. The asymmetrically designed pavilion features a five-story flag tower to the south and a four story north tower. The compound lancet-arched portal in the center of the pavilion serves as an open entrance into the quadrangle. A group of lancet-arched windows over the central arch, the square window hoods over the third-floor windows, and the wall buttresses around the central pavilion suggest the Gothic style. Longitudinal five-bay blocks, pierced by 6/6 sash windows with stone sills and brick window panels below, flank the central pavilion. Flat-topped towers with narrow, rectangular lunettes compose the sixth bay on each corner of these side blocks.

The north and south sides of the Barracks Building continue to reflect the Gothic style both in features and in the vertical emphasis of elements. On the south side, projecting portals with lancer arches frame the two basement-level entrances. Flanking crenelated towers, square window hoods, and tall sets of multi-paned windows distinguish the southeast entrance. The middle south entrance, flanked by low wall buttresses, projects from a four-story crenelated tower. A tall hexagonal chimney, crenelated tower, groupings of windows, and a slender tower with low pyramidal roof and verticality to the south to the south façade. The north side is less elaborately embellished. An arcade of lancet arches encases large, multi-paned casement type windows on the first floor, while very tall multi-paned casement windows line the second floor. Four-story towers compose the corners, and wall buttresses divide the bays. The west side retains the simplest design, with eleven bays of 6/6 sash finished with stone sills and brick window panels below each window.

The brickwork on three exterior sides of the Barracks Building is Flemish bond veneer, except for the west wall, which is laid in American bond. Stone highlights embellish all facades, and a stone string course encircles the building above top-story windows and below the first-story windows when applicable. All the foundations are concrete.

The three-story east, south, and west sides of the quadrangle house cadet rooms. A three-story wooden porch, finished with square chamfered posts and a Gothic railing, lines the interior walls of these three sides. Doors to the cadet rooms enter from the quadrangle on all three floors. The different treatment of the north side suggests its more public use. The second floor projects out over the covered walkway, enclosed by a lancet-arched brick arcade, articulated by projecting, two-story buttresses. The two-story north side, distinguished on the outside and inside wall from the other sides, contains classrooms on the first floor and the library/study hall on the second floor. When the library was moved here from the Administration Building in 1960-61, the large, elaborately decorated study hall was then divided into two rooms. Interior embellishments such as the exposed roof truss were left intact.

The quadrangle encircles a six-part, symmetrically divided courtyard with brick paths. A small, square guardhouse, built in 1919, stood in the center of the courtyard until 1968 when it was removed. In 1980, the courtyard was landscaped. Lancet arches abound throughout the passageways in the courtyard. Interior staircases are located in each corner tower of the building.

The first addition, a long three-story block, contains the swimming pool in the raised basement, mess hall on the main floor, and chapel on the second floor. Projecting wall buttresses divide this wing into six bays, with large paired main-floor and triple second-floor windows with limestone trim. Elliptical arched windows line the basement level on the south side. A projecting crenelated tower, with narrow rectangle lunettes, campuses the seventh, or west bay of this addition. The south side, facing Eleventh Street, has been cloaked in a Flemish bond veneer, with American bond on the less visible north side. Unlike the main barracks, this block has been topped with a gable roof. Inside, both the mess hall and chapel retain their exposed ceiling joists.

The smaller, two-story kitchen wing, added off the west end of the mess hall, also hints at the Gothic style. The irregular form and unbalanced façade of this addition suggests a more utilitarian function. Like the mess hall wing, the kitchen block displays a Flemish bond veneer facing Eleventh Street, with American bond on the north wall and a low-pitched gable roof.

The quadrangle form of the Barracks and the consistent use of Gothic elements in the original block and two wings present a structure reminiscent of a medieval fortress. The Administration Building

The Administration Building, also known as the Memorial Building, was built north of the Barracks, with a covered walkway connecting the two buildings. Samuel Collins designed this two-story building as well as the gymnasium wing. Construction occurred between 1939-40. The Administration Building encases the now obscured 1882 Fishburne home in the southeast corner of the tripartite façade. The interior of the two-story house was completely remodeled into office space with this construction. Only a few traces of original trim survive inside. The basement, which had housed the cadets' dining room and store, still contains the cadet store today.

The Administration Building boasts more elaborate decoration than the Barracks. The front recessed central pavilion with gabled roof provides the focus of much of this decoration. Projecting brick and stone wall buttresses divide the pavilion into five bays. Fenestration varies from large, lancet-arched multi-paned windows in the first floor to large, square multi-paned windows in the second floor. Smaller square casement windows with trefoil designs pierce the central three bay of the gabled third-story level. The projecting lancet-arched portal, flanked by wall buttresses, shelters the main entrance. A carved eagle rests above the portal, suggesting the military ties to the school.

Deeper two-story, two-bay blocks flank the central pavilion of the building. The large, multi-paned casement windows have been trimmed in limestone, with two-colored tile panels added between the first and second-floor windows in 1979-80. Corner quoins finish the basement-level windows, which follow the same bays as the main-level façade. The side windows follow the same designs, but without the iron balconies found on the first-floor façade windows, the long, two-story gymnasium wing directly behind the Administration Building is slightly wider than the central pavilion. Wall buttresses divided the side walls into bays, unfilled completely with large, square multi-paned windows.

Certain features unify the various components of the Administration Building. All the walls are covered with Flemish bond veneer and the gym and front side blocks have been topped with a flat roof. A stone stringcourse encircles the entire building above the second-floor windows, as at the Barracks. Here, however, Fishburne Military School's shield emblems decorate the cornice at regular intervals in the front Administration block, and lancet-arched stone designs continue along the gymnasium cornice. A stone belt course also extends between the basement and main-floor levels of the front Administration section, but it is not found along the gymnasium wing because the basement level is not exposed.

By 1976, ivy had nearly covered both the Barracks and Administration Building. In 1979-80, both buildings were sandblasted and the bricks treated with silicon. There is no noticeable damage at the present time.

A flagstone staircase leads up to the formal front entrance with two sets of double doors. The exterior doors were replaced in 1979, and the interior doors were completely removed. A stained-glass transom commemorating Fishburne's centennial replaced a plain-glass transom that same year. The large entrance foyer is the most elaborately decorated room in the Administration Building. The heavy exposed beams, wooden plank floor, plaster walls and ceiling, and a ca. 1830 Federal mantel, all dating to the 1939-40 construction, still remain. Other rooms in the building include general administrative offices, classrooms, and the infirmary. Much of the interior has been modernized since the 1960s. In 1964-65, the walls of the main stairwell located in the south block were paneled, and other rooms have been paneled since 1977. Ceilings were lowered in several rooms in 1977 for maintenance and energy conservation reasons.

The original large, wooden doors still open from the front entrance foyer into the main-level gymnasium, which still retains much of its 1940 character. The basement level contains the rifle range and team locker rooms. This gymnasium replaces a ca. 1919 frame gym, which burned in 1939. Tennis courts are located behind the gym. Significance Historical Background

It was in 1880 that Professor Fishburne began the construction of his home located on the hill where Fishburne Military School now stands. He bought 1 ½ acres from Elizabeth Evans, wife of Joshua Evans.1 A year later, Professor Fishburne added approximately two more acres to his property.2 Professor Fishburne's home was completed in 1882, and the school moved to its present site. His two-story house with full basement accommodated boarding students. Instructors and students roomed, ate, and studied here. Local histories indicate that this was the first house in the county with running water and a bath served by water pumped from a Wayne Avenue spring.3 The name of the school became Fishburne Home School, and this same year, construction of the wooden Barracks began.

The school was incorporated in 1916. The Staunton architect T.J. Collins was hired and construction of the new Barracks began soon. The mess hall/chapel/swimming pool wing and the kitchen were added in 1919 and 1921, respectively. A wooden frame gymnasium was also built behind the Barracks in 1919. The old frame Barracks were torn down in 1917 forming a spacious parapet (drill area) in front of the new Barracks. The large field that occupies the eastern portion of the Fishburne property was graded and leveled for use as a parade/athletic field. In 1921, the west wing of the Barracks was completed.

Verbal Boundary Description and Boundary Justification. Alley located behind the houses which face Maple Avenue. From the Waynesboro Assessor's records, the property is found on Map #29, Block #1, and is described as a small acreage including lots #11-15, but not including lots #17 located in the southeastern corner of the clock. The total area of the buildings themselves is 74,704 square feet. Boundary Justification

The nominated property consists of approximately nine acres. This included the school's buildings and the adjacent parade/athletic fields. The nominated acreage constitutes property purchased by James A. Fishburne for his school beginning in 1881. With the exception of the Gymnasium and Administration Building, all the school's buildings are over fifty years old. However, in spite of the fact that the more recent buildings were constructed in 1939-40, they are compatible in style and scale with the older structures.

Commemorative Dates in School History

Founder's Day – November 11 - Honors the Nation's Veterans and War Dead, especially those Fishburne Alumni who gave their lives in defense of their country and remembers the school's founder PROFESSOR JAMES ABBOTT FISHBURNE who died on this day in 1921.

Colonel Hudgins' Birthday – December 4 - Honors the Founders successor COLONEL MORGAN HUGHES HUDGINS who served Fishburne for fifty-one years (1901–1952), remaining keenly interested in the school as Trustee until his death in 1973 at the age of ninety-four.

Foundation Day – March 11 - Commemorates the purchase of the school in 1951 by the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation, Inc. a non-profit corporation founded by friends and alumni to save the school after its private owners had sold it to the city and announced that it would close in May 1951. The Foundation continues to operate the school for the benefit of present and future cadets.

References

National register of Historic Places

Fishburne Military School - Virginia Main Street Communities