Charlotte Haxall Noland

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Charlotte Haxall Noland was the founder and President of Foxcroft School from 1914-1969.  The book "Charlotte Haxall Noland 1883-1969," is about her life, her vision, and the unfolding of her dreams.  Below is an excerpt about her early years.

Charlotte Haxall Noland's father was Cuthbert Powell Noland and her mother was Rosalie Haxall of Richmond, Virginia.  They first met when she was a bridesmaid and he a groomsman in the wedding of their cousins, Bolling Haxall and Lena Noland, which took place in the Episcopal Church in Middleburg.  For their three-day stay, Powell and Rosalie were "paired off" in the wedding festivities.  Shortly after, he wooed and won her, and in 1879 they were married.  Powell's father, Major Burr Noland, CSA, gave them a farm and built a house which they called "Burrland" in his honor.

The life at Burrland was, on the whole, delightful.  The young Nolands promptly decided to have a large family with children coming as close together as possible.  In this way they would be very congenial and the parents young enough to enjoy them.  The first two were boys, Lloyd and Barton.  Then the third child came - a girl, Charlotte was born during a terrible blizzard on 1 February 1883.  The doctor could hardly make the trip from Middleburg to Burrland.  Mrs. Noland wrote to her mother in Richmond, saying she wanted to name the baby Octavia after her.  In those days the correspondence took several weeks, and for those weeks the child was known as Octavia.  Then the reply came - Mrs. Haxall wished no child to be given such a name; instead, she greatly desired the baby to be named Charlotte after her daughter who had married Robert E. Lee, Jr., and then tragically died of tuberculosis just a year later.

After Charlotte, two more boys arrived - Powell Jr., and Philip.  Then, in the summer of 1887, Mr. and Mrs. Noland left the four boys and Charlotte in care of their beloved Aunt Bess and stepped off to a city hospital for ten days, returning to Burrland with Number Six, an exceedingly dark and ugly baby.  Aunt Bess had told the children that Father and Mother had gone to buy another baby, so there was great excitement when they arrived carrying a small bundle.  Charlotte was particularly thrilled at the idea of a sister, after all those boys.  "Oh, please let me see her, Father!  I am so glad it's a girl.  Where did you find her - how much did you pay for her?  I will take good care of her."  Upon inspection, there was a wail of disappointment.  "Oh, Father, is this the best you could afford?"  The sister was Rosalie.

Six children in seven years, less one week!  Four years later, the seventh and last baby, Katherine, arrived.