Langston Hughes Middle School opened in 1980.  Fairfax County has had a history of naming middle schools after authors and poets, and Langston Hughes is no exception. Hughes, a well-known African American writer of poetry, prose, fiction, and children's books passed away in 1967.  At the time of the school's construction there was a national resurgence of interest in his work. In addition, naming the school after Hughes honored Reston’s goal of being an open community. The school was designed by architect Douglas Carter of the firm Davis, Smith, Carter and Rider, Inc.