Mitchell Elementary School
 | Mitchell Elementary School in 2004. City of Richmond Archives Photograph 2004 43 92. |
Mitchell Elementary School (1908- ) can claim the distinction of being the longest continuously operating school within the Richmond public school system.
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| Group of students attending Mitchell School, |
The school and a nearby island were named after Richmond pioneer Alex Mitchell.
The school began with one room and served students from Grades 1 to 8. Eventually, in 1922, a second classroom was added and the school raised in order to provide a basement.
In 1926, the basement was deployed as a third classroom, but the dampness in the cellar led to an outbreak of pneumococcal meningitis in 1928. Three out of four students who contracted it died. As a result, the Metropolitan Board of Health was given the responsibility of ensuring that all Richmond schools met certain standards in the future.
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| East Richmond School, once an annex |
Mitchell School had additional classroom space built on to it throughout the past century, and in 1991 a new modern facility was built; however, at least one of the old structures is still present on site today. It should also be noted that an annex (East Richmond School) at No. 8 Road and River Road was added to Mitchell School’s administrative responsibilities in 1925 and remained as an annex until 1950.