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THE TEXAS SCHOOLHOUSE (Prior to 1950)

In this series we showcase some of the most modest of Texas buildings. Schools had one purpose and one purpose only. They didn't enjoy the amenities or details of hotels, public buildings, depots or courthouses. In some cases during the winters of the 1930s - each child came to school with a piece of firewood for the stove.

Many schools were dismantled and recycled into barns and outbuildings after the school consolidations of the late 40s and early 50s. Only a fraction are still standing today. Some today serve as community buildings or even residences. Others are simply collapsing under their own weight or being swallowed by vegetation.

TEXAS SCHOOLHOUSES & ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSES

“The Most Modest of Buildings”
By Mary S. Black
Photos by Bruce F Jordan
Excerpted From "Early Texas Schools: A Photographic History”
The Schools We Knew by Bob Bowman 10-11-09
From the 1800s to shortly after World War II, East Texas was made up mostly of farming communities,... almost every community had a school which acted as the glue that held each settlement together...

FEATURE ARTICLES
  • Restoring Trinity's Old Red - The red-brickTrinity schoolhouse, built in 1911-13

    • TEXAS SCHOOLHOUSES

  • Albert - Williams Creek School
  • Aleman, former school
  • Allamoore School
  • Alligator School House, Texas
  • Alpine High School
  • Ambrose Old Schoolhouse
  • Alvord Public School
  • Andrews
  • Antelope School & Gym 9-7-09
  • Aransas Pass old school building
  • Argenta Schoolhouse 3-21-09
  • Bangs High School
  • Barstow High stadium scoreboard
  • Barstow School
  • Bartlett School Feature
  • Baylor University, Independence
  • Bayside School
  • Beaukiss School Feature
  • Ben Ficklin School, former Tom Green County Courthouse
  • Bend School (no photos)
  • Benoit old schoolhouse
  • Berclair School
  • Big Spring Public School
  • Bledsoe School 10-11-08
  • Bluffton Schoolhouse
  • Bluntzer School
  • Boling High School 12-14-08
  • Bonnie Parker's Alma Mater
  • Borger High School, circa 1930s
  • Bremond School
  • Brenham High School
  • Briggs School
  • Brock ISD 7-24-09
  • Bronco Highway School (no photo)
  • Brookesmith School old and new gym
  • Brownwood - Rufus F. Hardin School Feature
  • Bula Schoolhouse Ruins
  • Bulah
  • Bulcher, former Center High School #64
  • Bunker Hill School
  • Calf Creek School Feature
  • Carbon Old Schoolhouse & former high school
  • Carlton school
  • Cartwright
  • Castell old schoolhouse
  • Center High School - School Days Feature
    A Ghost Story by James L. Choron
  • Center Point School
  • Chapman Ranch
  • Chappell Hill former school, now a museum
  • Charlie
  • Cheapside
  • Cherry Spring - Old Cherry Spring School
  • Chico former schoolhouse - Siddon-Barnes Log Cabin 1870s
  • Choate 2-22-09
  • Cistern School c. 1920
  • Clarendon High School 1927 - Athletes and Pep Squad
  • Clairette Schoolhouse 2-10-08
  • Clareville 11-6-09
  • Clarkson old schoolhouse
  • Coldwater Schoolhouse
  • Collinsville School
  • Commerce High School - Class of 1927
  • Conway School 8-11-09
  • Cookville Public School, early 1900s
  • Cottonwood old schoolhouse
  • Cotulla High School c. 1928
  • Courtney School, 1913 3-5-09
  • Crabapple School c. 1878
  • Crane High School
  • Cranfills Gap c. 1939
  • Crawford Middle School
  • Crews Schoolhouse & Gym
  • Crockett - Mary Allen College
  • Dale
  • Dayton Old Schoolhouse
  • Del Rio High School 2-6-09
  • Denison High School Feature
  • Desdemona School
  • Dexter - Auditorium interior 2-21-08
  • D'Hanis - St. Anthony's School
  • Donna School
  • Doole Elementary School 5th and 6th grade class 1946 - 1947
  • Dozier
  • Draw School House Feature (no photo)
  • Dripping Springs Academy
  • Dryden
  • Dulin
  • Dundee School
  • Duffau School 6-17-09
  • Eagle Lake High School Band
  • Eagle Pass
  • Edinburg High School
  • Elgin Public School, early 1900s
  • Eliasville De Long Ward School
  • Elm Grove School sign
  • Eola School Feature
  • Eulogy School
  • Eureka School in Spunky Flat Feature
  • Falfurrias High School class of 1953
  • Floyd 9-26-09
  • Fly Gap schoolhouse
  • Fort McKavett Schoolhouse Feature
  • Fredericksburg's "Vereins Kirche"
  • Friendship School
  • Gallatin Old Schoolhouse 1916
  • Gay Hill one room schoolhouse
  • Glen Rose High School Tiger Stadium sign
  • Goliad High School 11-7-08
  • Golly 5-20-09
  • Granger High School
  • Grapetown Schoolhouse Feature
  • Hamby Elementary School 7-23-09
  • Hext
  • Holland
  • Houston - Charles Elliot Elementary
  • Hovey Schoolhouse Feature
  • Illinois Bend
  • Indian Creek School, Mills County
  • Indian Gap Schools
  • Ingleside Schools marker
  • Iowa Park High School
  • Italy High School
  • Jacksboro High School
  • Jacksonville - Frederick Douglass School
  • Jacksonville Colleges
  • Jarrell School, 1928 and Class Photos
  • Jarrett Schoolhouse 11-5-09
  • Jeddo old Schoolhouse
  • Johnson City Public School
  • Jonesboro School
  • Juno Schoolhouse
  • Justiceburg Schoolhouse
  • Keene School
  • Kendalia School c.1930
  • Kenedy 3-20-08
  • Kent School ruin
  • Kermit Elementary School
  • Kerrick School
    • Feature
  • Kimball School
  • Kingsbury 7-28-09
  • Kingsville - Henrietta King High School
  • Kirtley
  • Knobbs Springs old schoolhouse
  • Koerth
  • Kountze High School
  • La Joya
  • Lagarto - Former School
  • Ledbetter 6-12-08
  • Lelia Lake
  • Leming Elementary
  • Lesley Schoolhouse
  • Lipan High School
  • Lipscomb School
  • Lolita
  • Lone Grove old schoolhouse
  • Lorenzo 8-6-09
  • Lowake school (now community center)
  • Lubbock - Senior High School
  • Lubbock - Texas Tech College
  • Lutie 2-26-09
  • Lyford School, 1911
  • Mackay Class of 1927
  • Manda old schoolhouse
  • Marfa High School
  • Marshall High School
  • Marshall Colleges
  • Masterson - Bivins School
  • Maverick Schoolhouse
  • McAllen High School 3-17-08
  • McCaulley School
  • McFaddin School
  • Megargel 5-8-09
  • Merit 9-5-09
  • Mesquite 1905 Schoolhouse
  • Middle Water school ruins
  • Miles High School
  • Millersview School
  • Minerva Schoolhouse
  • Moline School Site
  • Monaville 8-14-08
  • Mooreville 8-23-09
  • Moran School
  • Morgan - Union Hill School
  • Morgan Mill High School
  • Morris Ranch 1893 schoolhouse
  • Mosheim
  • Mozell High School
  • Moulton
  • Muenster - Sacred Heart School
  • Mullin School
  • Murphy School 10-30-09
  • Mykawa School
  • Myra School 11-6-09
  • Nash Public School and Marker
  • New Baden 5-18-09
  • New London School Explosion Feature
  • New London - West Rusk High School Feature
  • New Wehdem
  • Nuecetown Schoolhouse 2-11-09
  • Nixon-Smiley High School
  • Noodle - Cross Road School
  • Oakalla - 1920 former schoolhouse
  • Oatmeal - Stone schoolhouse
  • Odell School
  • Odem 9-6-09
  • Odessa High School
  • O'Donnell High School
  • Oklahoma Lane Schoolhouse
  • Old Glory High School
  • Olmos 2-23-09
  • Overton School
  • Ozona High School
  • Palestine School
  • Pandale Schoolhouse
  • Panna Maria - children's water fountain
  • Pawnee - School Bell
  • Peacock Reunions
  • Pear Valley
  • Peaster 7-24-09
  • Peoria 6-19-08
  • Perico abandoned school
  • Pettit High School 10-11-08
  • Pettus High School 10-17-08
  • Pharr School, 1911
  • Pharr-San Juan-Alamo School, 1915
  • Pickens old school
  • Placid School 1-22-08
  • Plains High School
  • Poolville Elementary 7-24-09
  • Post High School
  • Pottsville School
  • Prairie Mountain School 1-15-08
  • Premont High School Cheerleaders 1953
  • Priddy School
  • Pringle Elementary School 10-12-09
  • Purves old school with windmill
  • Pyron School
  • Ralls Middle School 9-18-09
  • Ray Point Old Schoolhouse 5-12-09
  • Ricardo school mascot
  • Rice Ranch Community School Children, c1912
  • Richardson - Wheeler School 1-18-08
  • Ridge old school
  • Rio Grande City School, Burned
  • Rio Hondo 4-7-08
  • Roaring Springs 11-10-09
  • Rochester School 4-20-09
  • Rock Island School Picnic
  • Rock Island Class of 1925
  • Rocksprings School 7-4-09
  • Rosser
  • Rowena Schools
  • Rusk High School
  • Salado - Amity School circa 1906
  • San Diego Schoolhouses
  • San Jacinto School
  • Sanderson High School
  • Sandia 12-2-08
  • Santa Anna High School
  • Santo High School, old and new
  • School Hill old schoolhouse
  • Schroeder 5-27-09
  • Scranton Academy 1-31-08
  • Shady Grove School
  • Sisterdale old stone schoolhouse
  • Slocum School
  • Smithville School
  • Snyder High School, 1900s
  • Sonora High School
  • Spanish Fort School 5-2-09
  • Speaks former schoolhouse
  • Star School
  • Starr county unidentified school
  • Sterling City ISD
  • Stonewall Schools 9-6-09
  • Strawn - Robinson Schoolhouse Feature
  • Swearingen School, 1928
  • Sylvester School 4-28-09
  • Tahoka High School
  • Tankersley School ( no photo)
  • Teague High School
  • Tehuacana School
  • Tennessee Colony Community Center/School
  • Thalia 9-15-09
  • Thornton School architectural details
  • Tokio School and historicla marker
  • Topsey
  • Toyah Elementary & High School, 1912
  • Trickham School
  • Trinity schoolhouse (All Things Historical)
  • Trio School - Haunted Feature
  • Tucker - Green Bay High School
  • Tuleta Agriculture High School
  • Tuleta's burned "Grade School"
  • Tulia Public School, 1908
  • Turkey High School
  • Union Grove High School Feature
  • Uvalde High School
  • Valera School, closed
  • Valley View School, closed 8-25-09
  • Valley View 10-9-08
  • Van Alstyne
  • Vattmann
  • Vega Public School
  • Velehrad
  • Vigo Park
  • Water Valley
  • Wayside School
  • Waxahachie 6-25-08
  • Waxahachie - Park Public School
  • Weimar Public School, early 1900s
  • Weldon School
  • West Sinton 5-16-09
  • Westhoff 7-26-09
  • Wharton County school bus c.1928
  • White Deer Grade School
  • Whiteflat School
  • Whiteland School
  • Whitewright
  • Wied 10-8-09
  • Willow City 6-20-09
  • Winedale Schoolhouse
  • Wingate
  • Winnsboro 9-1-08
  • Yancey
  • The Zephyr Public School Building
  • The Zimmersheidt School - "The Last One Room Schoolhouse In Texas" Feature


    Colleges and Universities

  • Jarvis Christian College by Archie P. McDonald
    Obtaining a collegiate education presented a problem for African Americans in Texas prior to court-ordered racial integration which began in the 1950s... In Texas, especially East Texas, Wiley College in Marshall and Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins were about the only options for undergraduate instruction...
  • East Texas Bapist University by Archie P. McDonald
    East Texas Baptist College, now University, began and remains in Marshall, Texas...
  • Another College Among the Pines by Archie P. McDonald
    We who give "All Hail to SFA" think of our University by one of its earlier nicknames, "The College Among The Pines." That also described another excellent institution headquartered in Carthage, Texas, named Panola College after its host county.
  • Stephen F. Austin State University by Archie P. McDonald
  • Add-Ran College, now TCU, Thorp Spring
  • Dana X. Bible and the Twelfth Man by Archie P. McDonald
    A story about the life and contributions to Texas football by Dana Xenophon Bible
  • Salado College by Clay Coppedge
  • Tehuacana - Westminster College
  • Texas A & M University, a Brief History
  • Lagarto College Historical Marker 10-10-09


    Education
  • Segregation in Two Texas Towns by Robert G. Cowser 5-28-09
  • Ann Whitney 2-10-08
    Pioneer Schoolteacher
  • An Influential Visit by Robert G. Cowser
    "As a junior, I found myself on the teacher-certification track, preparing to observe classes at the only high school in Commerce."
  • Rochester Teacher by Mike Cox
    School teaching has never been the best paying avocation, but the terms of employment have definitely improved over the last century...
  • Kinkaid School by Archie P. McDonald
    Kinkaid School in Houston.
  • A.M.Aikin, Jr. by Archie P. McDonald
    "In these days of evaluating our schools—exemplary to acceptable to whatever—and multiple special legislative sessions devoted to figuring out how to spend more money on schools while taking in less revenue, Texans might want to remember A.M. Aikin Jr., who helped drag education and Texas into modern times..."
  • Austin Grade School by Mike Cox
    Austin being the capital of Texas, all the laws dealing with major aspects of public education are made there. But the city has another distinction when it comes to teaching children: It had the first school in the state built entirely with public funds.
  • Ela Hockaday More Than a School Omarm by Archie P. McDonald
    Founder of the Miss Hockaday School for Girls in Dallas
  • The Gilmer-Aikin Law by Archie P. McDonald, PhD
    The landmark law passed by the Texas legislature that brought the state's educational system at least and at last into the twentieth century.
  • Remembering Integration by Bob Bowman (From "All Things Historical")

    Opinion/Humor
  • College Application by Peary Perry 10-8-08
    "My wife and I were sitting on a swing on the upstairs porch drinking coffee as we went over what you are about to read .... I have to tell you both of our sides hurt from laughing so hard .... I wish I could take credit for having written this ... but, I can't...I do hope you find this as funny as we did ..."
  • Dumbing Down of America by Peary Perry 7-3-08
    "At this time we have approximately 30 million illiterate citizens in this country. This is roughly 10% of our total population. You know a large number of them passed through our school system. My question is, how did they graduate if they could not read or write?"
  • Global Decline in Math and Science by Peary Perry


    Crimes
    • Murder at a school by Bob Bowman 10-13-08
    During the evening of March 12, 1926, as students and parents watched a play at Center Point school in Trinity County...

    School Days
  • Old-timers' tales - true or not by Delbert Trew 11-3-09
    A lady schoolteacher whose experiences included teaching during the "dirty 30s" in a small country school told the following tale...
  • Remembering school days by Bob Bowman
    Few things stir the nostalgia of our lives as the days we spent in our schools decades ago.
  • Competing with Elvis in the Classroom by Robert Cowser 11-15-07
    Elvis Presley and a band called the Blue Notes performed on the stage of the Humble Oil Company’s recreation building in Hawkins one evening in January, 1955...
  • Cujo by George Lester
    I suppose there was one in every class, in every school, everywhere in the country. A class hero. We had one in our class at Eureka School.
  • School Days
    J.T. Brown as told to Louise George
    Class of 31 in Dumas
  • The Reluctant Thespian by George Lester
    "The first grade at Lorena Grade School was putting on a play. The students had been selected to play various nursery rhyme characters. There was “Little Bo Peep”, “Goldie Locks”, “Little Jack Horner” and many more. ..."
  • On the Way to School (Oral History) by Louise George
  • Mules to School by George Lester
  • The Smorgasbord by George Lester
    A school lunch story
    		• "It seemed, as I recall it, a lonely little house of scholarship, with its playground worn so bare, that even the months of sun and idleness failed to bring forth any grass. But that humble little school had a dignity of a fixed and far off purpose. It was the nest of the West's greatness. It was the outpost of civilization. It was the advance guard of the pioneer, driving the wilderness farther into the west. It was life preparing wistfully for the future. The school was poorly equipped, indeed, since it boasted only a few long, crude benches, with no desks but the knees upon which to write. The teacher was afflicted with the tobacco habit, which the ten small pupils accepted along with other disadvantages".

    James Rooney remembers the White House School in Fort Stockton as it was in 1879. From the introduction to Journey From Ignorant Ridge, Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers, 1976
    School playground
    		"... with its playground worn so bare, that even the months of sun and idleness failed to bring forth any grass." - James Rooney

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