Marfa in Presidio County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Blackwell School
Photographed By William F Haenn, June 3, 2012
1. Blackwell School Marker
Inscription.
Blackwell School. . Education for local children of Mexican descent dates from 1889, when the former Methodist church became a schoolhouse. The school, named for longtime principal Jesse Blackwell, served hundreds of Hispanic children up to ninth grade. Students were told to speak only English on campus; Spanish words written on slips of paper were buried on the grounds in a mock funeral ceremony. The school closed in 1965 with integration of Marfa schools. The building sat vacant until preservation efforts by the Blackwell School Alliance, formed in 2006. The one-story schoolhouse has a modified hip roof, front-gabled entry, and plastered 24-inch thick adobe walls on a stone foundation.,
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2010.
Education for local children of Mexican descent dates from 1889, when the former Methodist church became a schoolhouse. The school, named for longtime principal Jesse Blackwell, served hundreds of Hispanic children up to ninth grade. Students were told to speak only English on campus; Spanish words written on slips of paper were buried on the grounds in a mock funeral ceremony. The school closed in 1965 with integration of Marfa schools. The building sat vacant until preservation efforts by the Blackwell School Alliance, formed in 2006. The one-story schoolhouse has a modified hip roof, front-gabled entry, and plastered 24-inch thick adobe walls on a stone foundation.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2010
Erected 2010 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 16572.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Hispanic Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.
Location. 30° 18.355′ N, 104° 1.338′ W. Marker is in Marfa, Texas, in Presidio County. Marker is at the intersection of West Waco Street and South Abbott Street, on the left when traveling west on West Waco Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 501 South Abbot Street, Marfa TX 79843, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 18, 2019. It was originally submitted on June 5, 2012, by William F Haenn of Fort Clark (Brackettville), Texas. This page has been viewed 725 times since then and 41 times this year. Last updated on November 2, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. Photos:1. submitted on June 5, 2012, by William F Haenn of Fort Clark (Brackettville), Texas. 2. submitted on November 2, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 3. submitted on June 5, 2012, by William F Haenn of Fort Clark (Brackettville), Texas. 4. submitted on November 2, 2012, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
