Maud, Remind Us Again How You Saved Moorefield.

ONE HALF of the funding establishes an endowment for the perpetual operation and maintenance of the Oakton Schoolhouse, and the remaining $100,000 is earmarked for the development of the park.

The Oakton Community Park, located at 2841 Hunter Mill Road, will be developed mainly as a woodland, but with a soccer field for use by local residents. The Oakton Schoolhouse, now painted a creamy yellow, will be operated and maintained by the Friends of Oakton Schoolhouse, who dedicated themselves to the preservation of the historical site. The Fairfax County Park Foundation, the park authority’s charitable arm, will administer the funds.

"The Friends group has a number of goals," said Friends of Oakton Schoolhouse President Bob Adams. "Short term, our primary goal will be to raise money to purchase antiques to furnish the schoolhouse. We also had planned to do the plantings around the schoolhouse but the Park Authority has already done this. Kudos to them for doing so.

"Mid-term, our goal is to have an infrequent, interpretive program … It would be done entirely outside the schoolhouse and would be about one and one-half hour long.

"Very long term, our goal is to open the schoolhouse to the public. Although this sounds like an easy thing to do, it actually is quite difficult and expensive," said Adams.

THE OAKTON SCHOOLHOUSE, one of the first public schools in Fairfax County, opened in 1897. In the mid-20th century, the little building became a hardware store, then home to Appalachian Outfitters. It was an icon of sorts, sitting on the corner near a shopping center.

As the new year began in 2007, Chevy Chase Bank relocated the historic building to its new home at the Oakton Community Park, less than a half mile away.

Chevy Chase Bank has amassed extensive documentation of the schoolhouse’s history, according to the bank’s project manager, Larry Lorenzo. The renovation adhered to the national standards for work on historic structures.

"Credit has to go to the community, too," said Kirk Holley, project manager for Oakton Community Park. "The community had an interest in preserving the Oakton Schoolhouse and persisted in their efforts. Supervisor Smith supported their interest."

The Fairfax County Park Authority acquired the land the schoolhouse sits on in October 2001. "The park is master-planned, but not yet funded," said Park Authority Information Officer Judy Pedersen. "It will be funded through bonds, grants, proffers, and private donations."

Holley calls this project "unique" because Chevy Chase Bank is "backstopping" the endowment for 10 years. Should costs of maintenance and operation exceed the endowment, Chevy Chase Bank will step in to cover the shortfall.

Before the schoolhouse’s relocation, there lingered the prospect of the structure’s demise. The owner of Appalachian Outfitters could have razed the deteriorating building, but did not, in the hope that some group would save it. Chevy Chase Bank, as well, could have razed it, but chose, instead, to be a "good neighbor."

It will be many months before the Oakton Schoolhouse opens to the public. In the meantime, interpretative displays describe the past of building.

"This is the first endowment for a park we’ve ever gotten," said Holley. "This is significant."