History of Burley High School

Jackson P. Burley Middle School on Charlotteville’s Rose Hill Drive is named after an esteemed local African-American educator and community leader. The school opened in 1951, serving both the City of Charlottesville and neighboring Albemarle County as the sole African-American high school during segregation. For 16 years, Burley High School served as a center and focal point of African-American culture and community in the greater Charlottesville area.

The original Burley High School athletic field, located between the school building and Washington Park, was once home to legions of championship athletes –including the undefeated and never-scored-upon 1956 Burley football team. Today, the field is the only lighted baseball diamond in the city and county available for public use, and many local leagues – youth, schools, UVA clubs, and adult men – practice and play on Burley field. To the bitter disappointment of Burley High School alumni, the athletic field has fallen into a state of significant disrepair.

GOALS OF THE PROJECT

1. Restore and modernize the existing Burley Middle School baseball field and facility.

2. Honor the rich history of Burley High School and its student athletes

3. Provide to the Rose Hill neighborhood of Charlottesville an enhanced community resource

4. Bring together the Albemarle County, Charlottesville City and UVA communities in a project addressing historic and enduring issues of racial injustice and equity

Click to learn more about the project—> burleyrestorationproject.org