Golly Hollow School and Community

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm going to give it to you straight. There's a place out in DeWitt County called Golly Hollow, and like a lot of good Texas stories, it starts in a low-lyin area. The very first school for the Golly Hollow community was erected right down in that low ground, west of where the marker stands today.

Now, anyone who's spent time in Texas hill country knows that low ground has a way of reminding you it's low ground, usually at the worst possible moment. So the community had bigger plans. In 1884, a woman named Theresa Hubers-Burger donated an acre of land so the school could be built up on higher ground.

One acre. That was the gift that moved the whole enterprise to a better place. The school itself was named for a pioneer by the name of Antone Golly, and here's the part that'll sit with you a moment.

Antone Golly died in 1884, the very same year that donated acre changed the community's future. The school carried his name forward from that point on. Golly Hollow joined the public school system around 1893, and the building was enlarged before 1906, growing right along with the community it served.

Classes were held in that schoolhouse all the way through 1946, when Golly Hollow consolidated with Arneckeville. But the old building wasn't done yet. In 1952, the former schoolhouse became a community center, still standing, still gathering people in.

Higher ground, it turns out, was worth every bit of that one acre.

What the marker says

The first school for the Golly Hollow community was erected in a low lying area west of this site. In 1884 Theresa Hubers-Burger donated an acre of land so that this structure could be built on higher ground. The school was named for pioneer Antone Golly, who died in 1884. Golly Hollow became part of the public school system about 1893, and the building was enlarged before 1906. Classes were held here until 1946, when this school consolidated with Arneckeville. In 1952 the former schoolhouse became a community center.