Heritage High School (Lynchburg, Virginia)

History

In January, 1975, a steering committee, representative of educators, students, parents, and the community at large, was appointed to begin planning a new high school to accommodate approximately 2,000 students. This committee and twenty-three subcommittees worked under the able direction of Dr. Ernest Martin, Special Assistant to the Superintendent, to draw up the initial specifications for the new school. From this planning merged the architects' design of an ultra-modern structure, beautiful in appearance and functional in use.

The new school had no real identity until the spring of 1976, when a special School Board committee, chaired by Mr. James K. Candler, made the following announcement: "We propose Heritage High School as a fitting name for the city's newest secondary building. The name shall serve to remind this generation and generations to come that the first responsibility in public education is to see that our democratic way of life is preserved through an informed electorate. This name shall call to mind both the pride in achievements in the past and shall hold forth a challenge for greater progress in the future. It shall provide a continuing reminder to Lynchburg educators and citizens of the obligation which is theirs - to mold the future through the education of the youth - to carry on the heritage of free education first established in the city of Lynchburg in 1871 and in the Colony of Virginia in 1634.

The building suffered many structural problems that resulted in the need for higher maintenance costs than comparable schools. In 2007, the Lynchburg School Board hired a firm to suggest ways to either renovate the building, merge the school population to E.C. Glass, or replace it. A task force urged replacement in a September 2011 report.{{cite web|title=Heritage High School and the Future of Secondary Education In March 2014, the Lynchburg City Council approved a $63.4 million bid from Barton Malow to build the new school in time for the beginning of the 2016 school year.

The School

• First Floor- Cafeteria, Auditorium, Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Drama, Art Hall, Clinic, Main Office, Gymnasium, History Hall, Foreign Language Hall, Library (first floor)
• Second Floor- Cosmetology, English Hall, Math Hall, Science Hall, Library (second floor), Drivers Education and Health

Facts

• Heritage High School was built to produce solar energy hence its unique architecture
• Heritage is one of three high schools in Virginia to have an indoor track on their campus (Ralph D. Spencer Memorial Fieldhouse) on the 2nd Floor

Notable alumni

• Leland D. Melvin (NASA engineer and astronaut)
• Paris Lenon (former NFL Linebacker)
• Keith Hamilton (former NFL Lineman)
• Chris Cook (NFL Cornerback-last play with the San Francisco 49ers)
• Chris Parker (former NFL running back)
• Kevin Keatts, former head coach for NC State Wolfpack men's basketball and UNC Wilmington.

Central Virginia Governor's School

• Heritage High School is home to the Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology. Gifted high school students from Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell counties as well as Lynchburg City attend classes at a separate location within the high school.

Marine Corps JROTC

Heritage High School has a Marine Corps JROTC. In addition to academic subjects, extracurricular activities include Drill team, Rifle team, Cyber team, and Raider Team.

Athletics

Heritage (Lynchburg) has won a number of VHSL Seminole District, Region III, and State Championships at the AAA and AA level.

State championships

• Recent Champions*

2002

• Virginia State AA Division 4 Football Champions
  • Lafayette High School-Williamsburg - 7 vs Heritage High School - 34
• Virginia State AA Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2003

• Virginia State AA Indoor Track Champions (Boys)
• Virginia State AA Indoor Track Runner-Up (Girls)
• Virginia State AA Outdoor Track Champions (Girls)
• Virginia State AA Outdoor Track Champions (Boys)

2004

• Virginia State AA Basketball Final Four Tournament (Boys)

2005

• Virginia State AA Baseball Final Four

2006

• Virginia State AA Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2018

• Virginia State Class AAA STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS Heritage 24, Phoebus 20 Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, VA)

2019

• Virginia State AA Outdoor Track Champions (Girls)

Regionals

1978

• Northwest Region AAA Baseball Champions

1997

• Division 4, Region 3 Football Champions -Heritage 20, Salem 14

2002

• Division 4,Region 3 Football Champions
• Heritage 28,Blacksburg 10

2003

• Region III Outdoor Track Champions (Girls)
• Region III Outdoor Track Champions (Boys)
• Region III Indoor Track Champions (Girls)
• Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2004

• Region III Indoor Track Champions (Girls)

2005

• Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)
• Region III Baseball Champions (Dream Team) Scott Stevens, D.W Moore, Terrance Penn, Michael Costa, Aaron Reid, Jeffery Taylor, Cameron Grant, Jared Blakenship, Mike Howell, LA Robertson, Leland Heritige, Josh Owens, Brett Hass, Derick Wathall,

2006

• Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2007

• ACE Team (The VHSL calls it Scholastic Bowl)

2008

• Region III Indoor Track Champions (Boys)

2012

• Division 4, Region 3 Football Champions -Heritage 12, Amherst County 7

2017

• Class AAA, Region C Football Champions — Heritage 62, Brookville 20

2018

• Class AAA, Region C Football Champions -Heritage 44, Liberty (Bed) 28

2019

• Class AAA, Region C Football Champions -Heritage 43, Spotswood 20

Theater

Heritage High School is also home to Pioneer Theatre which is a student run program. In 2010, the Virginia Theatre Association named Director Larry Hart theatre educator of the year. All sets are built by Applied Technical Theater I & II. The theatre produces around six shows a year. The six plays usually consist of an Acting II Competition Piece, a Theater in the round, a Mainstage Straight Play, a Mainstage Musical, an Acting II Musical or "Straight Play" Dinner Theatre, and the Acting II Original One Acts. While this is the current compilation it does change slightly from year to year.

References

References

1. "Heritage High". National Center for Education Statistics.
2. Jessie Pounds. "Lynchburg City School Board accepts $63.4M bid for new Heritage High". Lynchburg News & Advance.
3. "LELAND D. MELVIN".
4. "Work, journey have Cards' Lenon defying age".
5. (2 February 2014). "Path to Super Bowl began in Lynchburg". The News & Advance.
6. (2017-11-01). "Profile: Coach Kevin Keatts".
7. "VHSL Football - State Champions Summary".
8. "VHSL Record Book".
9. "2019 Results - Virginia VHSL Outdoor State Championships".