School History

London Towne Elementary School was built beginning in January 1969 at a cost of $1.2 million by Jenkins Construction Company, Inc. Our school opened its doors to students for the first time on September 2, 1969.

Photograph of a drawing of London Towne Elementary School.
Designed by the firm of Beery and Rio, London Towne was the first school in Fairfax County to use a hexagonal building layout. Described as a “school-in-the-round” by architects, the unique hexagonal design clustered classrooms around the library on the first floor and a common resource area on the second floor.

The first principal of London Towne Elementary School was Kate W. Thomas. Built for a capacity of 990 students, London Towne opened in 1969 with an enrollment of about 585 children.

Black and white photograph showing London Towne Elementary School under construction.
Pictured above is London Towne Elementary School while under construction in 1969.

A Look Back

In 1996, London Towne Elementary School was the subject of the FCPS cable television channel series “Profile.” The Red Apple 21 crew spent several days at London Towne, gathering interviews with teachers and classroom footage. The resulting 30-minute documentary provides a fascinating snapshot of London Towne in the mid-1990s.

What's in a Name?

Learn about the origin of our school's name in this video produced for Fairfax County Public Schools’ cable television channel Red Apple 21.