Wayland School

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Wayland School, out in Stephens County. Now, every good school story starts with a piece of ground, and this one's no different. Back around 1883, a local fraternal organization donated land for two purposes: a school and a cemetery.

Life and death, right there on the same deed. From that donated ground, the Wayland Free School District was formed, and before long, early frame structures went up to serve the community. Those buildings did their job.

But by 1920, the community decided it was time for something more permanent, and a new brick and stucco structure rose up in their place. Four rooms. That was the new Wayland School building, and four rooms was plenty, because that building became the beating heart of the whole community.

Through the 1920s and into the 1930s, Wayland thrived. Folks put down roots, children filled those four rooms, and life had a rhythm to it. Then the 1940s arrived, and with them came World War II, and the promise of work in larger cities started pulling people away from the area.

One by one, families went. The school held on as long as it could, but the 1941 to 1942 academic year turned out to be its last. When it closed, the remaining students transferred to the Breckenridge Independent School District.

The schoolhouse didn't fall to ruin, though. It was converted for use as a community center, still standing on that same land a fraternal organization gave away for something worth giving land for. Some buildings outlast their original purpose by finding a new one.

That's not a bad ending for a school.

What the marker says

The Wayland Free School District was formed about 1883 when land was donated by a local fraternal organization for school and cemetery purposes. Early frame structures were replaced by a new brick and stucco structure in 1920. The new four-room Wayland School building became a focal point in the community, which thrived throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s. The promise of work in larger cities during World War II drew many people away from the area. The school closed during the 1941-1942 academic year, and the remaining students transferred to the Breckenridge Independent School District. The former Wayland School building was converted for use as a community center. (1999)