Alice E. Carlson Elementary School
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Designed by Fort Worth architect Wiley G. Clarkson and built in 1927, this building was enlarged twice, once in 1935 with Works Progress Administration funds and again in 1953 with designs by noted area architect Joseph R. Pelich, Sr. The original classrooms, principal's office and cafeteria were supplemented by additional wings. Named for a teacher who was the first woman to serve on the Fort Worth School Board, the institution shaped the growth of the neighborhood and its children. Architectural features include multilight frame windows and Spanish colonial revival details, including the tile roof and wrought iron lamps. State Archeological Landmark - 1983 Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2000
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1927 to a design by Fort Worth architect Wiley G. Clarkson, this Spanish Colonial Revival school — with its tile roof and wrought-iron lamps — grew with its neighborhood, expanding in 1935 with Works Progress Administration funds and again in 1953. It was named for Alice E. Carlson, a teacher who became the first woman to serve on the Fort Worth School Board. For generations the school anchored the community and shaped its children.
Why it matters
Honoring a pioneering woman in local governance and built partly with New Deal labor, the school reflects both the widening role of women in public life and the federal investment that reshaped American communities in the 1930s.
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Related people
- · Alice E. Carlson
- · Wiley G. Clarkson
- · Joseph R. Pelich, Sr.
Themes & tags
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