Winona in Smith County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Starrville Community Center
Photographed by Randal B. Gilbert, January 18, 2016
1. Starrville Community Center Marker
Inscription.
Starrville Community Center. . Starrville was originally part of the I.W. Hall survey and, by 1849, the town had become a stop on the Dallas-Shreveport road. In 1852, reverend Joshua Starr bought the land and began selling town lots. During the summer of 1862, Starrville was the site of Gen. Henry McCullochs C.S.A. army encampment in preparation for the march to Little Rock. During the late 1870s, local leaders refused to allow the railroad to run a line through town and residents began moving to Winona. The post office moved to Winona in 1907. A new school was built in 1927 because Baker Springs schools consolidated into the Starrville schools. By 1952, the school was absorbed into the Gladewater system and later Winona school district., The school, built in 1927, is designed in vernacular style with double dropped siding. The interior was built with a sloping floor and sliding wooden doors that separate the area into classrooms. An auditorium was added in 1930 where plays and musicals were performed. Local carpenters Finis Walters, Lance Lowry and Frank Alba constructed the school. Through the years, the school has also served as a polling center, the site of Smith County Historical Society programs, educational programs, old timers reunion, weddings, and receptions. In the 1940s, two additional buildings associated with the school were donated to the Waters Bluff area to provide schools for local children. The center is operated and maintained by the Starrville community improvement committee. The community center remains a testament to the peoples commitment to education and their strong community spirit.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2012 , Marker is property of the State of Texas.
Starrville was originally part of the I.W. Hall survey and, by 1849, the town had become a stop on the Dallas-Shreveport road. In 1852, reverend Joshua Starr bought the land and began selling town lots. During the summer of 1862, Starrville was the site of Gen. Henry McCullochs C.S.A. army encampment in preparation for the march to Little Rock. During the late 1870s, local leaders refused to allow the railroad to run a line through town and residents began moving to Winona. The post office moved to Winona in 1907. A new school was built in 1927 because Baker Springs schools consolidated into the Starrville schools. By 1952, the school was absorbed into the Gladewater system and later Winona school district.
The school, built in 1927, is designed in vernacular style with double dropped siding. The interior was built with a sloping floor and sliding wooden doors that separate the area into classrooms. An auditorium was added in 1930 where plays and musicals were performed. Local carpenters Finis Walters, Lance Lowry and Frank Alba constructed the school. Through the years, the school has also served as a polling center, the site of Smith County Historical Society programs, educational programs, old timers reunion, weddings, and receptions. In the 1940s, two additional buildings associated with the school were donated to the
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Waters Bluff area to provide schools for local children. The center is operated and maintained by the Starrville community improvement committee. The community center remains a testament to the peoples commitment to education and their strong community spirit.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2012
Marker is property of the State of Texas
Erected 2012 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17352.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education.
Location. 32° 28.214′ N, 95° 6.295′ W. Marker is in Winona, Texas, in Smith County. It is on Farm to Market Road 16E 0.2 miles west of County Road 369, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17936 FM-16E, Winona TX 75792, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Piney Woods. 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 markers no longer nearby. Camp Fannin Internment Camp (was approx. 6 miles away but has been confirmed missing); Camp Fannin (was approx. 6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 18, 2016, by Randal B. Gilbert of Tyler, Texas. This page has been viewed 968 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 18, 2016, by Randal B. Gilbert of Tyler, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
