ONANCOCK, Va. — While the Town of Cape Charles continues to wallow in the histrorical farce of selling its historic school property — valued at $1 million — for just $10, another Eastern Shore town is taking a markedly different approach to preserving its heritage.
The Town of Onancock voted Monday, Oct. 27, to appropriate $800,000 for essential repairs to the roof and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the Historic Onancock School. The measure passed 5–1, with Councilwoman Joy Marino casting the lone dissenting vote.
Unlike Cape Charles, which sold its former school to Echelon Resources, Inc. for redevelopment into private apartments, Onancock retains ownership of its historic school building and leases it to the nonprofit Friends of Onancock School for $1 per year. The town’s new appropriation is earmarked strictly for infrastructure improvements and will be managed directly by the town under its standard procurement procedures.
A public hearing will be held on proposed revisions to the school’s lease terms. The funds will not go directly to the Friends group but will instead be used by the town to contract the necessary roof and HVAC work.
The contrast between the two towns’ decisions remains striking. In Cape Charles, the controversy surrounding the Old School sale led to a lawsuit by the community group Old School Cape Charles, which had sought to lease or buy the property for use as a community center. The group argued that the Town Council rejected its proposal “without logical basis or explanation,” opting instead to sell the property to Echelon for $10.
Meanwhile, Onancock’s decision to invest in preserving its historic school demonstrates a different philosophy—one rooted in maintaining community ownership and ensuring the building continues to serve public purposes for generations to come.
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