The neighborhood consists of about 300 homes built around the 70s. Many of the younger residents attend or attended Leesville but this sadly wasn’t always the case. With LRHS being built in 1993, numerous high schoolers before then had to attend the next closest high school, Broughton.
“There was nothing really past our neighborhood. The highway wasn’t there, there was no development, and around here was very rural,” Allison Nani, a resident of Springdale for 30 years explains.
Growing up without a high school close by was difficult for many of the former residents.
“Leesville would have been less than half a mile from my old house versus 10 miles away from Broughton, which does not seem far but it was. Most of my friends lived close to Broughton and they joked that my sister and I lived out by the cows because the whole Leesville property used to be a farm with cows on it,” said Nani.
Springdale Estates was mainly developed by Mr. Lester C. O’neal. The main road connecting all of the homes was named after him, O’neal Road. What used to be his office is now an extension of the neighborhood named “Baybridge.” This area was newly built in the early 2000s, so many residents attended LRHS.
“Yes, it was difficult because I could never just run over and visit my friends, and they couldn’t just come over quickly either,” said Nani. She believes that if Leesville was around at the time she would have more of a closer relationship with her friends.
“I think the biggest difference would have been my connection with my friends and their families; I never saw their parents. I never saw any of my friends in the grocery store or church, so if Leesville was built, I feel like I would have had more of a sense of community,” said Nani.
Although Nani didn’t enjoy living in the middle of nowhere, she felt as though living in the city would have been too busy. She explained that “Springdale at the time was beautiful, very undeveloped, and looked at now as what would be the countryside. I miss the underdeveloped land and large farms.”
Now that Leesville is built, many kids nearby can get to school quicker, have a specific community, and participate in after-school activities without worry. The development and history of Springdale Estates and the community is captivating to experience.
