DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the original building of Tivy School, out in Kerr County. Now, before we get to the admiral — and yes, there is an admiral in this story — we've got to start with the captain. Captain Joseph A.
Tivy. Born in Canada in 1818, he eventually found his way to Kerr County, settling in around 1870. And once he put down roots, he didn't exactly sit idle.
He became Kerrville's first mayor. He served as a Texas legislator. He surveyed most of the Kerrville area.
He gave land for a city park. The man was leaving his mark on that corner of the Hill Country every which way he turned. But here's where the story gets interesting.
In 1890, Captain Tivy made two gifts that would echo for generations. He gave sixteen and two-thirds acres right here on this site — land for a school. And then, as if that weren't enough, he threw in another hundred acres to be sold, the proceeds meant to build and furnish the thing.
You want to talk about putting your money where your mouth is — or rather, your acreage where your ambitions are — well, there you go. Classes began in October of 1891. A native stone building, solid and sure, the kind that looks like it means to stay put.
And among those early students? A young fellow who would one day become Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
He sat in those same rooms, walked those same grounds. The world had no idea yet what was coming for him — or what he'd bring to it. The building kept on.
Tivy High School called it home all the way through 1967. But it wasn't without its scars. In 1942, fire swept through and severely damaged the native stone structure, and the facade was stuccoed over in the aftermath — covering up some of what had been, the way time tends to do.
Some buildings just carry more history per square foot than others. This one, it turns out, had a captain's generosity in its foundations and a future fleet admiral in its classrooms. Not bad for sixteen and two-thirds acres on a Hill Country hillside.
What the marker says
Captain Joseph A. Tivy, a Canadian born in 1818, settled in Kerr County about 1870. He served as Kerrville's first mayor and as a Texas legislator. He surveyed most of the Kerrville area and gave land for a city park. In 1890, he gave 16 and 2/3 acres for a school on this site and 100 acres to be sold to build and furnish the school. Classes began October 1891. Among the early students was Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. The native stone building was severely damaged by fire in 1942 and the facade stuccoed. This building housed Tivy High School until 1967. (1978)