James Monroe (1730–1772) married Spence Monroe in 1752 and they had five children: Elizabeth, James, Spence, Andrew, and Joseph Jones. His paternal great-grandfather Patrick Andrew Monroe emigrated to America from Scotland in the mid-17th century. In 1650 he patented a large tract of land in Washington Parish, Westmoreland County, Virginia. Monroe's mother was the daughter of a wealthy Welsh immigrant who had settled in nearby King George County, Virginia. Also among James Monroe's ancestors were French Huguenot immigrants, who came to Virginia in 1700. At age eleven, Monroe was enrolled in the lone school in the county. Monroe attended this school for
James Monroe High School (Virginia) to honor the nation's fifth president, James Monroe, who had his law office in the city from 1786-89. The second James Monroe High School building was constructed in 1952, and a wing was added in 1959. From 1981-83, a large renovation project modernized the entire building, and another wing was added. The Arthur H. Schwartz Memorial Athletic Complex was constructed during 1985-86, providing a new track, tennis courts, and a baseball field. Up until 2005, Fredericksburg City Public Schools used an unusual system of grade levels and schools. James Monroe High School carried 8th through 12th grades. However, the construction