Downtown in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Site of Rincon/Douglass School
In the aftermath of the Civil War, the resolution of issues associated with education of newly freed slaves influenced the nature of Southern education well into the 20th century. The federal government established the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands to coordinate the transition from slavery to freedom. Among the more visible of the Bureau's programs was the organization and building of schools.
The first free public school for Blacks in San Antonio was built on this site in the late 1860s. Operated by the local office of the Freedmen's Bureau, the school was a two-story stone structure. Called Rincon School because of its location on Rincon (now St. Mary's) Street, the school provided instruction to students of all ages. It was the only Bureau school in Texas to receive support from a local government.
The City of San Antonio assumed operation of the school in 1871, adding it to what eventually became the San Antonio Independent School District. The name was changed to Riverside School in 1890, and to Frederick Douglass School in 1904. Ten years later the school was relocated to a two-story brick building at what is now 318 Martin Luther King Drive.
An important part of the city's history, Rincon/Douglass School has been integral to the heritage of a large portion of San Antonio's population. The early example established by the Rincon School and similar schools played a fundamental role in defining the nature of the segregated school system in Texas and at the same time inspired support for universal public education in the South.
Erected 2010 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 4269.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education.
Location. 29° 25.8′ N, 98° 29.549′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of Augusta Street and Convent Street, on the left when traveling north on Augusta Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Antonio TX 78205, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ursuline Academy/Augusta Street Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Ursuline Academy (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Navarro Street Bridge (approx. 0.2 miles away); The San Antonio River (approx. 0.2 miles away); Travis Street Crossing (approx. 0.2 miles away); San Antonio High School (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fallen Heroes of the Vietnam War (approx. ¼ mile away); Houston Street (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Antonio.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 340 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.