Whiteoaks

Whiteoaks

Whiteoaks is the original Burke Elementary School, renovated and expanded into a private residence. Burke Elementary opened in 1912 as a two-room schoolhouse, and later was expanded to three rooms. By the 1930s, population growth required a larger school, and a second Burke Elementary was constructed through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) under the New Deal. In 1950, the Cornelson family purchased Whiteoaks. Willie Harlow, Burke's jack-of-all-trades, completed renovations for the family who still live there today.

In this photo, Jennifer Addington and her mother stand in front of Whiteoaks in the 1950s. Jennifer Addington's parents bought the house after its conversion from a schoolhouse to a residence began, changing its name to Whiteoaks.

Photo courtesy Jennifer Cornelson Addison