Phillips in Bryan in Brazos County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Site of First Public School in Bryan

First Public School in Bryan Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Morgan Petermann, September 1, 2024

1. First Public School in Bryan Marker

Inscription. At the polls on Oct. 29, 1877, the City of Bryan voted to establish a free public graded school--a very progressive step in an era of private schools. Interested citizens immediately bought and donated this block for the site. Financial help came from the George Peabody Foundation, a philanthropic agency devoted to education in the post-Civil War South.

Cornerstone was laid in 1879. The first session opened in the fall of 1880 with noted East Texas educator Percy V. Pennybacker (1860-99) as principal. There were five other teachers and seven grades.

Top floor of the 3-story brick building was the auditorium, used for chapel, calisthenics, and other programs. Dormer windows were set into the roof. Classrooms were on first and second floors; heating was by wood-burning stoves throughout the building. The schoolyard had a boys' and a girls' side. On each side there was an arbor with benches and tables where pupils ate lunches brought from home. A cistern with tin cups chained to its rim provided water.

Outmoded by 1919, the old "graded" (or "east side") school became an adjunct to a new structure built that year, and housed gymnasium, cafeteria, and shop department. It was razed in 1949.

Erected 1973 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 8682.)

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Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical date for this entry is October 29, 1877.

Location. 30° 40.123′ N, 96° 22.082′ W. Marker is in Bryan, Texas, in Brazos County. It is in Phillips. It is at the intersection of Baker Avenue and East 29th Street, on the right when traveling north on Baker Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1213 Baker Ave, Bryan TX 77803, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Eugene Edge Home (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Methodist Church of Bryan (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Baptist Church, Bryan, Texas (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Joseph Catholic Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Joseph School (approx. 0.3 miles away); Site of Odd Fellows University and Orphans Home (approx. 0.4 miles away); Brazos County (approx. 0.4 miles away); Courthouse Cedar (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bryan.

Also see . . . Restoring Texas Historical Marker 8682 "Site of First Public School in Bryan". (Submitted on December 15, 2025, by Chris Talley of Bryan, Texas.)

Photographed by Morgan Petermann, September 1, 2024

2. First Public School in Bryan Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2024, by Morgan Petermann of Hurst, Texas. This page has been viewed 184 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 4, 2024, by Morgan Petermann of Hurst, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.