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English: The Sydenstricker Schoolhouse. The first schoolhouse on the site was known as the Pohick School #8, and was built around 1900 on land donated by civil war veteran, Barney Deavers (who is buried within view of the schoolhouse at the adjacent Sydenstricker Methodist Cemetery). It replaced another schoolhouse located a mile away (the Barkers School), which was built around 1874. The original schoolhouse on this site burned in July 1928. A new, larger school was constructed in only four months, and opened to students in November 1928. The school became known as the Sydenstricker School (for its proximity to the neighboring Sydenstricker Church). The belfry still contains the original school-bell. The bell was purchased in the 1920s from a Sears store in Alexandria, and survived the fire of 1928 that claimed the original building. The school was closed in 1934, and the children were sent to the Burke School. The community petitioned to re-open the schoolhouse, and in September 1937 the school was re-opened to the first four grades. The schoolhouse closed for good in June 1939. Despite being closed, the schoolhouse continued to be used regularly for community events, wedding receptions and meetings. In August 1943 the building became home to the Red Cross“Sydenstricker Surgical Dressing Unit”, for the purpose of making bandages for the war. In 1954 the Upper Pohick Community League (originally the Sydenstricker School&Community League, which was the "PTA" of the schoolhouse) purchased the building from the school district for $550 to use as a community center. For many years it was the center of social activities in our area. The UPCL still owns and maintains the schoolhouse, and is the oldest continually operating community association in Springfield, and among the oldest in Fairfax County. 8511 Hooes Road, Springfield, Va. 26 January 2016