Mathews School

Duane's take

The official marker is my guide here, and I'm going to tell you what it says about Mathews School. Now, 1916 was a busy year for the Austin school district. They set out to build three elementary schools, and two of them, they built identical.

Mirror images of each other. One went up on the east side of town, called Metz. The other went up on the west side, called Mathews.

Same architect, same design, same hand behind the pencil: a man by the name of Dennis R. Walsh. Here's the thing about twins, though.

They don't always share the same fate. Metz is gone from the picture. Mathews is still standing, still in use.

Of those two identical schools Walsh drew up, only one made it through the long haul, and it's the one on the west side. The school was named for Dr. William J.

Mathews, a physician and an original member of the school board. A man who helped shape the district from the beginning, and then had a building carry his name forward. The years kept coming, and the building kept growing.

Sometime in the nineteen-thirties, the firm of Giesecke and Harris came in and did a renovation, adding to what Walsh had originally designed. More additions followed over time. But here's what held.

The central façade, the face of the building, remained intact. Symmetrical, composed, built in a simplified Classical style. Squared brick pilasters framing it up.

A pedimented entry welcoming whoever walked through the door. Dennis Walsh drew two schools that were exactly alike, and the years sorted out which one would last. Mathews School is still the answer to that question.

What the marker says

In 1916, the Austin school district built three elementary schools, including two identical ones: Metz on the east side of town and Mathews on the west. Architect Dennis R. Walsh designed both schools, but only Mathews remains in use. Named for Dr. William J. Mathews, a physician and original school board member, the building has several additions, including a 1930s renovation by the firm of Giesecke and Harris. The central façade remains intact, with symmetrical composition reflecting a simplified Classical style. Features include squared brick pilasters and a pedimented entry. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2006