Stovepipe Academy
Aldie's First Public School · Est. circa 1870 · Restored 2023–2025
The Stovepipe Academy is a Reconstruction-era two-room schoolhouse in the historic village of Aldie, Virginia—one of the earliest public school buildings in Loudoun County.
Constructed in the early 1870s with funds raised from local horse meets and steeplechases, this rare surviving example of Virginia's first generation of public schools has been carefully restored to museum-quality standards.
On this site, you will find the full history of the school, the remarkable preserved features uncovered during renovation, and the broader story of Aldie and public education in Reconstruction-era Virginia.
The History
From its construction during Reconstruction through its closure in 1914, discover the full story of Aldie's first public school and the families who built it.
The Schoolhouse
Explore the original footprint, the extraordinary preserved blackboards, and the architectural features that make this building a rare material record of early public education.
The Renovation
See how the original schoolhouse was recovered from beneath a century of modifications through careful, museum-quality preservation work.
