Comfort School

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Comfort School. Now settle in, because this story starts the way the best Texas stories do, with a fresh start in raw country. Comfort was founded by a group of German immigrants in 1854, and by 1856, there were already enough children running around that somebody had to do something about their education.

So they built a one-room log cabin on Michael Lindner's lot number 258, and when even that wasn't enough room, some classes spilled over into people's homes. Now picture those kids, sitting on backless benches along the walls, dirt floors beneath their feet, learning their letters. Not exactly what you'd call luxurious.

But it was a start. Following the Civil War, the community got organized. The Comfort Schulverein, that's the Comfort School Association, was established to oversee education in the area.

In 1866, a second building went up on the west end of Comfort Park. And that's when the story really picks up, because two men stepped into the picture who were going to shape this school for decades. Mr.

Carl Herbst taught continuously from 1866 to 1887. Continuously. That is not a small thing.

And Mr. Fritz Fischer served from 1870 to 1881, took a pause, then came right back from 1887 to 1895. Both men had received their training from universities in Germany, and both brought real success to the Comfort school.

Enrollment climbed. The school outgrew itself. And between 1892 and 1893, the first permanent schoolhouse rose at the corner of 3rd and High streets.

Christian Lindemann built it, a three-room limestone structure with a bell tower, and the adjoining lots served as a playground for the children. Around that same time, non-German settlers were arriving in greater numbers, and the school began adjusting its language and curriculum to meet a changing community. In 1904, a fourth classroom and a hallway were added.

In 1922, a whole second story went up for a school district that just kept on growing. Then in 1974, when major repairs were made to the roof, workers removed the bell. It was eighty years old by then.

And for a while, it was just gone. But in 1987, a replica was constructed and placed on the school grounds, so the tower didn't have to stand silent forever. That limestone building at the corner of 3rd and High, raised up by a community that started with dirt floors and backless benches, is still standing today as a testament to the enduring service of Comfort's first permanent school.

Some things, it turns out, are built to last.

What the marker says

Comfort was founded by a group of German immigrants in 1854. By 1856, there were enough children in the area to warrant a public school and a one-room log cabin was built on Michael Lindner's lot no. 258 with some classes held in homes. The school had dirt floors and children sat on backless benches along the walls. Following the Civil War, the Comfort Schulverein (Comfort School Association) was established to oversee education in the area. In 1866, a second building was erected on the west end of Comfort Park. Mr. Carl Herbst taught continuously from 1866 to 1887, and Mr. Fritz Fischer served from 1870 to 1881 and again from 1887 to 1895. Both men received training from universities in Germany and brought success to the comfort school. Enrollment increased and soon the need for a larger school was evident. Between 1892 and 1893, the first permanent schoolhouse was built at the corner of 3rd and High streets. The three-room limestone building was constructed by Christian Lindemann and included a bell tower. The adjoining lots served as a playground for the school children. Around this time, the influx of non-German settlers created a need for language and curriculum changes. In 1904, a fourth classroom and hallway were added and, in 1922, a second story was constructed for the expanding school district. When major repairs were made to the roof in 1974, the eighty-year-old bell was removed. A replica was constructed in 1987 and is housed on the school grounds. This historic structure is a testament to the enduring service of comfort's first permanent school.