Hereford High School

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way out in Deaf Smith County, the town of Hereford has been serious about educating its young people for a long time. It goes back to 1898, when a relocated frame schoolhouse, nothing fancy, just a moved building set down and put to work, was serving the students of Hereford.

That's where the story starts. Humble, practical, get-it-done. Very Texas.

As attendance grew, new buildings followed, because that's what you do when more kids show up. Then in 1916, the school board made a move with a certain flair to it. They took the former Hereford Christian College building and converted it into a high school.

A college building repurposed for high schoolers. Someone on that board had an eye for opportunity. But even that wasn't the end of the story.

Rural school consolidation kept bringing more students into the fold, and eventually the community decided it was time to build something that would really last. They passed a bond issue, a hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and that was no small sum. The year was 1925, and Hereford was ready to build.

They hired E. F. Rittenberry as architect and George Parr as contractor, and what those two men produced was a three-story brick and cast stone building dressed up in prominent Collegiate Gothic style, complete with entrances and finials that announced, clearly, that learning happened here.

The building opened as Hereford High School in 1926. It carried that name until 1954. Then it became Stanton Junior High, named in honor of H.

V. Stanton, the first junior high principal. That name stayed on the building all the way to 1988.

After that, the building took on yet another role as Stanton Learning Center. One building, one community, and more chapters than most structures ever get to tell.

What the marker says

In 1898, a relocated frame schoolhouse served students of Hereford. New buildings came as attendance increased, and in 1916 the school board converted the former Hereford Christian College building into a high school. Rural school consolidation led to more students and a successful $125,000 bond issue for a new high school in 1925. E. F. Rittenberry was architect and George Parr was contractor for this three-story brick and cast stone building featuring prominent Collegiate Gothic style entrances and finials. The building has served as Hereford High School (1926-1954), Stanton Junior High (1954-1988) - named for the first junior high principal H. V. Stanton - and as Stanton Learning Center. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2009