Woodbridge District Supervisor Jeannie LaCroix said that while she understands the historical significance of the Old Bennett School, practical realities and the need for courthouse expansion make full preservation difficult for taxpayers.
LaCroix, a former court reporter who walked past the 1908 building hundreds of times, shared her perspective during a May 22, 2026, appearance on the Potomac Local Podcast.
“I have that perspective right now as I walked by it — nobody was like, ‘Oh this is the greatest, let’s invest a bunch of money and make it wonderful.’ Nobody has done that,” LaCroix said.
The Bennett School, which served as an elementary school from 1909 to 1969 and was among the first in Prince William County to integrate, has been vacant since 1989. It was recently added to Preservation Virginia’s 2026 Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places list following a community “Save Bennett School” event on May 20 at the Manassas Museum Plaza.
Preservation advocates, including Manassas City Councilmember Theresa Coates Ellis and organizer Colin Turner, argue the building — designed by prominent Virginia architect Charles M. Robinson — holds significant architectural, educational, and Civil War memorial value. They have called for public-private partnerships and adaptive reuse.
Prince William County officials plan to demolish the school in 2028 as part of a roughly $233 million judicial center expansion. County leaders have cited an estimated $54 million cost to restore and relocate the structure as not feasible for taxpayers. Instead, they are considering memorialization options within the new complex.
LaCroix emphasized the growing population pressures on the courthouse, which serves Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
“With the county growing by leaps and bounds, we have got to expand that courthouse. The only way to do it is to do it somehow on that entire property,” she said.
She suggested incorporating elements of the Bennett School into the new facility.
“Do I think that there would be a way for them to memorialize that — the Bennett School — or keep a portion of the school and make it like some kind of amazing thing in the lobby… is where I would be heading,” LaCroix said.
She added that if a private group wants to fund relocation, that would be welcome, but stressed fiscal responsibility.
“If there is some group that would love to revitalize it and they want to move it and heck, they have an extra $54 million… then great,” she said.
The comments come amid ongoing community advocacy. County supervisors approved the judicial expansion plans as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget.
