Tuckahoe History

Tuckahoe is a Native American name for the plant Peltendra Virginica that was used in making flour for bread.  A famous plantation on the James River in southeastern Virginia also bears the name Tuckahoe.  Within Arlington the name Tuckahoe appears as the name of a subdivision located southeast of the school.  Tuckahoe is also found as a street name.

Tuckahoe Elementary School was constructed in 1953 with sixteen classrooms, a library, a multipurpose room, and several smaller rooms that were intended for use as a clinic, offices, staff lounges, and a conference room.  Miss Gertrude Smith served as principal at both the newly constructed Tuckahoe School and the nearby Stewart School.  In 1968 Mr. Herbert Shelley became principal of what had become Stewart-Tuckahoe.

Mr. John Willis served as principal from 1970 until his retirement in 1987.  Mr. Willis led Tuckahoe through several periods of change during his tenure.  In 1971 an addition consisting of nine classrooms, a music room, an open media center, and a gymnasium were constructed.  At the same time the Stewart School facility was turned over to the Department of Recreation and the students attending Stewart were moved to Tuckahoe.  Consolidation took place again in 1983 when Reed Elementary School was closed due to declining enrollment and its students reassigned to Tuckahoe.

Mrs. Marjorie Tuccillo held the position from 1987 until 1990 and Ms. Laurie Baker from 1990-1994.  Dr. Cynthia S. Brown has been Tuckahoe’s longest serving principal from 1994-2015, and Mr. Mitch Pascal was named principal upon Dr. Brown’s retirement. Mr. Dustin Barnes was named principal in 2022.