Clarendon School, historic school building in Arlington, Virginia, USA
Clarendon School is a three-and-a-half-story brick building constructed in 1910 in Arlington, Virginia, designed in the Classical Revival style. The structure features large Palladian windows, limestone keystones above the openings, horizontal stone bands, and a formal entrance portico with Tuscan columns.
The school building was constructed in 1910 during Arlington's rapid growth as a suburb of the nation's capital and served as the only elementary school in the Clarendon area for over 60 years. After closing in 1973, it was converted into the Arlington Arts Center in 1977 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The school is named after Matthew Maury, a Virginia native known for his work in navigation and mapmaking. The 1944 renaming reflects how the community honored influential local figures and valued their contributions to education and knowledge.
The building is located in the Ashton Heights Historic District and can often be viewed from nearby streets. Visitors should be respectful of the property and any access restrictions that may be in place.
The building was originally known as Clarendon School but was renamed Matthew Maury School in 1944, with many locals continuing to use its original name. The renaming honored a Virginian who was a cartographer, naval officer, and later a weather instructor at Virginia Military Institute.
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