The Scrabble School Preservation Foundation was established in the early 1990s by a notable alumnus, the late E. Franklin Warner. After the loss of Warner’s leadership following his death in 2003, the Foundation was revived by a group of alumni. The Board of Directors conceived the plan to rehabilitate the building as the county’s Senior Citizen Center, with dual use as a Heritage Center working to educate the public about the history of the school and the community it served.
The Scrabble School Preservation Foundation is a Tax exempt 501(c)(3).
Scrabble School reopened on May 2, 2009.
Architects: Rowen Barton Studio, Charlottesville
Construction: Dink’s Construction, Harrisburg.
In memory of The Reverend Anna Alsberry, who served until her death, February 7, 2010.
Program Director (Vacant)
Nan Butler Roberts, President
Scrabble School alumna. A retired analyst for Fairfax County, Virginia, Nan is also active in numerous community organizations. She joined the SSPF board in 2013.
Melanie Kopjanski, Vice President
Scrabble School alumna. Melanie attended Scrabble during 1967-68—the only year the school was integrated and during which it was for first-grade students only. Her family has deep roots in Rappahannock County and she works with the family cattle business. She rejoined the board in 2016, after serving as president in 2010.
William Carter, Treasurer
Native of Rappahannock County, attended the Rosenwald school in Washington, Va - graduated high school at Rappahannock Co. High School, careers in security and real estate.
Ellen Timbers, Secretary
Scrabble School alumna. Clerk of Shiloh Baptist Church in Woodville, Virginia, and an organizer of the annual Rappahannock County Relay for Life.
And in alphabetical order:
James Allsberry
Alumnus of the Rosenwald School in Flint Hill, VA. He joined the board in 2010, replacing his wife Reverend Anna Allsberry, a Scrabble alumna. He is active in many community organizations.
Lillian F. Aylor
Alumna of the Rosenwald School in Little Washington. She is employed by Mount Vernon Farms and is also a board member of the Aging Coalition and the Rappahannock Historical Society. Her memoir, I'll Get It Done: A Life Journey in Rappahannock has received wide acclaim.
Angie Dennis
Alumna, ministry, civic and community service organizer. Served many years with local social services organizations. Angie still lives close to the school in Castleton.
Stephanie Deutsch
Author, You Need a Schoolhouse: Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South (Northwestern University Press, 2011). Married to a great-grandson of Rosenwald, Stephanie is very active in the Rosenwald School community. She lives in Washington, DC, and is also on the board of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.
Brion G. Patterson
Retired chemistry teacher, Rappahannock County High School. Joined the Board in 2020.
Robert J. Lander, President, 2003-2009, 2011-2015
As president of Scrabble School Preservation Foundation, Bob was directly responsible for the school’s historic property’s restoration and creation of exhibit. He has played leadership roles in several organizations since retiring to Rappahannock County.
Melanie Thornhill Kopjanski, 2010
Estelle Lewis
Alumna, local civic and religious community service organizer.
Irene Timbers
Alumna, local civic and religious community service organizer.
Patricia Saltonstall
Retired journalist whose column "Diplomatically Speaking" appeared in the Washington Star.
The Mission of the Scrabble School Foundation is to preserve the Scrabble School and to share its legacy through educational programs.