Barden Elementary School opened in 1957. Originally known as Fort Belvoir Elementary No. 2, the school was renamed in 1960 in honor of Colonel William Jones Barden, a member of the Army Corps of Engineers. William Barden graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1894 and was appointed a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He served in numerous assignments including as Commandant of the Engineer School until 1913.

Barden Elementary School was operated by the United States Department of Defense until 1969 when the school became part of the Fairfax County public school system. At first a school for children in kindergarten through the sixth grade, Barden was changed in the 1980s to grades four through six. 

In 1988, Barden received the first computer lab in Fairfax County. It was a language arts and math lab. The room where the computers were installed had to be completely rewired so they could connect the many electrical outlets at one time. Fairfax County paid for this computer lab, and also arranged for the electrical upgrade for the new program. All other classrooms had only two electrical outlets and no air conditioning. If you plugged in a fan or a tape recorder, you could not plug in any other electrical appliance or you would blow a fuse. During the really hot days, at the beginning of school or at the end of school, many teachers would have class outside under the trees where it was cooler. ~ Jo Glass, Fort Belvoir Eagle, June 18, 1998

Barden Elementary School closed in 1998 and its students were consolidated into the new Fort Belvoir Elementary School which opened in September of that year. After its closure, Barden was converted into an army education center.

Some former principals of Barden Elementary School are: 

• Edythe G. Wadleigh (1969-1978), 
• Karen N. Johnston (1978-1982), 
• Joseph B. Hucks (1982-1985), 
• Virlinda Joyner Snyder (1985-1991), 
• David L. Lunter (1991-1997), and 
• Sherman Hairston (1997-1998).