Original Dixon Hall

Steward Grounds circa 1990

In 1972, a group of concerned parents gathered in Richmond, Virginia. Led by long-time resident Helen Dixon, they began to examine the teaching methods of local schools. What they discovered was a system of education that forced a child to fit into programs and standards. This was not acceptable. Every child is different and learns by different means. Education, they believed, should focus on the individual needs of a child. The Steward School was born.

The Steward School was founded as a high-quality independent college-preparatory school that would develop the unique talents and strengths of each student. It has undergone several expansions to provide its students with a strong curriculum and high expectations for educational and life-long pursuits. In 2006, the School has more than 500 students from grades Kindergarten through twelve with the goal of increasing the student body to approximately 600 students. In spite of the expansions, Steward intends to remain true to its mission of providing an intimate and nurturing, yet challenging, learning environment.

In his book, A Story of Success: A History of the Steward School 1972-1997, Paul R. Cramer, Sr. writes:

The name "Steward" was selected from a sermon first preached by Headmaster Herbert A. James to the boys of Rossall School, a boarding school founded in England in 1844. Sally Careter, the headmistress of St. Timothy's School in Maryland, a girls' boarding school established in 1882, introduced the sermon to her school. It used to be read to the students on the first and last Sunday night of every school year.

When the founders of Steward were searching for a name for the school, Ronald Messersmith, one of the founders and the first headmaster, was shown this sermon in a book owned by Trudy Sorg. Trudy was a former student at St. Timothy's School and, later, a kindergarten teacher at Steward. Mr. Messersmith was so taken by the concept that he presented the idea to the other founders, who felt the name equally intriguing; hence, it became the name of the new school.