Richland School

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Richland School, out in northern Travis County. Now settle in, because this one's got roots that run deep into the soil, and I mean that almost literally. Back in the 1860s, Germans began settling this stretch of northern Travis County, farming land rich with what folks would come to call Blackland soil.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, an early immigrant named Franz Schmidt decided the children of this community deserved a proper education. He opened up his own home, a place known as Brushy Knob, and let the kids come learn there. That right there is the kind of thing that starts a story worth telling.

Schmidt didn't stop at his front door, either. He went ahead and donated a full acre of his property so the community could have a dedicated school. Then, in the late 1870s, a local committee got together and submitted that the school be named Richland, in reference to the area's rich Blackland soil.

In 1878, they built a one-room schoolhouse. One room. That's where it all began.

The first teacher was Catharine Schlittler, and she was followed by a succession of German-speaking minister-teachers, men who were handling both the pulpit and the primer, often at the same time. Now, the community was patient, but not endlessly so. Parents started getting restless about part-time instructors lecturing in German, and eventually the community did something about it.

They applied to the state for funds to bring in a full-time, English-speaking teacher. The state said yes. And around that same time, the school itself got bigger.

In 1883, they built a larger schoolhouse right over the footprint of the original building. One generation's schoolhouse became the foundation for the next. The community kept pushing.

In 1905, they voted to expand again and bring in another teacher. Then in 1920, a separate room was built just to house the primary grades. And in 1927, they voted once more to improve the school grounds, this time constructing a modern, three-room schoolhouse.

When that new building went up, the original 1883 structure was moved off-site entirely. The 1905 addition was demolished. And the 1920 building, the one built for the little ones, was converted into a clubhouse.

That community had a habit of not letting things go to waste. Now, by 1936, Travis County officials had decided that smaller community schools like Richland ought to be consolidated over at Pflugerville. But Richland held on.

It resisted consolidation for nearly a decade after that decision, finally absorbed by Pflugerville ISD in 1945. When its doors closed for the last time, the Richland School had nine grades, three classrooms, and three teachers. Everything that remained, every building, was moved off-site and repurposed.

Franz Schmidt offered up his home and then an acre of his land, and out of that grew a school that served northern Travis County for the better part of a century. The soil was rich, alright. And so was what grew from it.

What the marker says

The Richland School was created as a means to educate the children of the Richland community in northern Travis County. During the 1860s, many Germans settled the area and began farming. An early immigrant, Franz Schmidt, took an interest in providing community-wide education. He offered up his home, known as “Brushy Knob,” as a place for children to learn. As the need for education grew, Schmidt donated one acre of his property for a school. In the late 1870s, a local committee was formed which submitted that the school be named “Richland,” in reference to the area’s rich Blackland soil. In 1878, a one-room schoolhouse was built. The first teacher was Catharine Schlittler, who was followed by several German-speaking minister/teachers. Unhappy with part-time instructors lecturing in German, the community applied to the state to supply funds for a full-time, English-speaking teacher. This request was granted around the same time the school was expanded. In 1883, a larger schoolhouse was built over the site of the original building. In 1905, the community voted to expand the schoolhouse and bring in another teacher. A separate room was built in 1920 to house primary grades. In 1927, the community voted to once again improve the school grounds by constructing a modern, three-room schoolhouse. The original 1883 building was moved off site, the 1905 addition demolished, and the 1920 structure converted into a club house. In 1936, Travis County officials decided that smaller, community schools should be consolidated at Pflugerville; however, Richland School avoided consolidation until 1945, when it was absorbed by Pflugerville ISD. At the time of its closing, the school had nine grades, three classrooms, and three teachers. The school buildings were all moved off-site and repurposed. (2016)