Lampasas Colored School

Duane's take

Now, I'm gonna tell you this one the way the official marker tells it — because some buildings hold more history than their walls let on, and this one's got plenty. Pull over if you need to. This story deserves your full attention.

The oldest public school building in Lampasas, Texas, is also one of its most quietly powerful. It's still standing — limestone walls, low gable roof, coursed rubble masonry, stringcourse and quoins and decorative niches all right there in the stonework like the craftsmen wanted to make sure nobody forgot the care that went into it. And that care matters, because the story of who built this school, and who was kept out of others, runs deep.

As far back as 1898, this was the site of a schoolhouse for African American students in Lampasas. Now that's where the story starts, but it's a long way from where it ends. In 1922, the citizens of Lampasas voted on a forty-thousand-dollar bond.

Sounds like progress, right? Well — partly. That bond was approved to remodel the grammar school and high school for white students, and to erect a new building for black students.

Two systems, one vote, and the distance between them measured in more than just dollars. Come April and May of 1923, the new school went up, right in front of the old frame building, which was then torn down. J.R.S.

Hollowell was the principal at the time — the Lampasas Colored School, as it was officially called. His name deserves to be said out loud. Now, the building that rose in 1923 was something to behold.

Rectangular plan, low gable roof, limestone walls laid in what the marker calls coursed rubble — which sounds rough, but you look at that stonework and you understand it was anything but careless. There are quoins at the corners, a stringcourse running the length of the walls, decorative niches. Somebody took pride in that construction, and the building has been standing there ever since, making sure you notice.

But pride in a building and justice in a system are two different things. For many years — many years — African American children in Lampasas were taught only ten grades. To finish high school, they had to leave.

Had to go find room in larger cities. That's not a footnote. That's a generation of kids putting miles between themselves and home just to get what every other student in Lampasas had down the street.

By 1927, overcrowding had gotten bad enough that the school board split the school day in two — younger children using the building four hours, older children the other four. One building, one community, not enough room and not enough support to fix it properly. Still, life went on inside those walls with a determination that the marker faithfully records.

In 1941, the Colored Parent Teacher Association organized there. By 1950, students had a Dramatic Arts Club and a Community Youth Choir. In 1951, the boys' and girls' basketball programs got going.

That same year — 1951 — the school board finally allowed the Lampasas Colored School to begin teaching all twelve grades. Decades late. But it happened.

In 1948, somebody invested in the building itself — a covered stone entry was added to the east façade, and an extension pushed south to make room for a new stage area. That entry was later removed. But the stage stayed.

A stage, in a school that had been fighting for recognition and resources from the beginning. There's something fitting about that. The school closed in 1963.

And starting with the 1963 to 1964 school year, all Lampasas students went to school together. One school. Together.

Sixty-five years after that first schoolhouse stood on this ground. In 1964, the school district deeded the building to Lampasas County, which used it for storage. And then in 2001 — nearly forty years after the last class walked out — the building came within a whisker of being demolished.

Gone. But concerned citizens stepped up, raised money, and fought for its preservation and reuse. The Texas Historical Commission placed the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designation in 2009.

The oldest public school building in Lampasas is still there. Limestone walls, low gable roof, those careful quoins holding the corners like they've been doing since 1923. It was built during segregation, survived neglect, survived a demolition threat, and it's still standing — which means it's still telling the truth.

And some buildings, friend, that's exactly what they were made to do.

What the marker says

The oldest public school building in Lampasas is also a reminder of the era of segregated education. This was the site of a schoolhouse for African American students in 1898. In 1922, citizens voted in favor of a $40,000 bond to remodel the grammar school and high school for white students and erect a new building for black students. The new school was built in April-May 1923 in front of the existing frame building, which was torn down. J.R.S. Hollowell was principal of the Lampasas Colored School at the time. In 1927, overcrowding caused the school board to divide the school day between younger and older children, with each group using the building four hours per day. Activities organized at the school included the Colored Parent Teacher Association (1941), Dramatic Arts Club and Community Youth Choir (1950) and the Boys’ and Girls’ basketball (1951). In 1948, improvements to the building included a covered stone entry (later removed) on the east façade and an extension to the south to accommodate a new stage area. For many years, African American children were taught ten grades in Lampasas and had to attend schools in larger cities to complete high school. In 1951, the school board allowed the Lampasas Colored School to begin teaching 12 grades. The school closed in 1963, and all Lampasas students went to school together starting with the 1963-64 school year. The rectangular-plan limestone schoolhouse with low gable roof exhibits distinctive stone craftsmanship in its coursed rubble walls, stringcourse, copestone, quoins and decorative niches. In 1964 the school district deeded the building to Lampasas County, who used the facility for storage. In 2001, the building was threatened with demolition, but concerned citizens raised money for its preservation and reuse. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2009