DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, most buildings have a story. But some buildings have a *history* — and friend, there is a difference.
This old school sitting here in Travis County is one of the oldest school buildings in Texas erected from public funds. Let that sink in a moment. Not donated by a wealthy patron, not scraped together by a church congregation — built with public money, for the public good.
And the ground it stands on? That block was set aside for school purposes by the Republic of Texas itself, back in 1839. The Republic.
Of Texas. Before statehood, before the Civil War, before most of the state as you know it even had a name on a map — somebody looked at this patch of land and said, this one's for the children. The school opened in 1876, and they named it for Governor Elisha M.
Pease, born 1812, died 1883 — a man the marker calls a leader in legislation that laid the groundwork for support of public education in Texas. That's the kind of legacy that earns your name on a building. Now, those rooms at the center of the building — the original heart of the place — those went up in 1876.
Then fire came calling in 1892, the way fire does, and what was burned was restored. They added on in 1916, added on again in 1926, remodeled in 1949. This building has been rebuilt, expanded, and renewed more times than most towns get a second chance.
And through all of it — the fire, the construction, the decades rolling by — thousands of children walked through those doors and learned to read, to write, to reckon with the world. That's not a small thing. That is, in fact, everything.
What the marker says
This is one of the oldest school buildings in Texas erected from public funds; on university block set aside for school purposes by Republic of Texas in 1839. This school was opened in 1876; it was named for Gov. Elisha M. Pease (1812-1883), a leader in legislation that laid groundwork for support of public education in Texas. Rooms at center of building were erected in 1876; restored after a fire in 1892. Additions were made in 1916 and 1926, and remodeling was done in 1949. Thousands of children have received basic education within walls of this historic school. (1972)