Booker T. Washington School
Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
SERVING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS OF ARLINGTON, BOOKER T. WASHINGTON SCHOOL WAS A VITAL INSTITUTION IN THE CITY. IT HAD ITS ROOTS IN ARLINGTON’S FIRST BLACK SCHOOL, WHICH WAS IN PLACE BY THE 1890s. THE SCHOOL SERVED THE GROWING AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY KNOWN AS THE HILL, LOCATED NORTHWEST OF THE ORIGINAL TOWN BOUNDARIES. THE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST FURNISHED ADDITIONAL CLASS SPACE AS NEEDED. IN 1902, THE SCHOOL BECAME PART OF THE NEWLY FORMED ARLINGTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. GEORGE STEVENS AND GLORIA ECHOLS WERE APPOINTED AS TEACHERS, WITH STEVENS ALSO SERVING AS PRINCIPAL; BOTH LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ARE NOTED FOR THEIR IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF THEIR YOUNG STUDENTS. THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL BUILDING WAS REPLACED AFTER A SEVERE 1903 STORM. STUDENTS ATTENDED THE SCHOOL UNTIL EIGHTH GRADE, AT WHICH POINT THEY WENT TO I.M. TERRELL HIGH SCHOOL IN FORT WORTH. A NEW FACILITY OPENED AT 500 HOUSTON STREET IN 1954, OFFICIALLY NAMED FOR EDUCATOR BOOKER T. WASHINGTON. THE BUILDING HAD EIGHT CLASSROOMS, AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE, AND A CAFETERIA; A GYMNASIUM WAS ADDED LATER. GEORGE STEVENS CONTINUED TO SERVE AS PRINCIPAL OF THE INSTITUTION. IN 1965, ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEGAN FULL DESEGREGATION. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON SCHOOL CLOSED AND BECAME VEDA KNOX SCHOOL, A FACILITY FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS. IT WAS LATER RENAMED THE METRO MATH AND SCIENCE ACADEMY. TODAY, BOOKER T. WASHINGTON SCHOOL IS REMEMBERED AS AN ICONIC INSTITUTION IN THE HILL, PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH SKILLS AND EDUCATION THAT WOULD HELP THEM ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Rooted in Arlington's first Black school of the 1890s, this institution educated generations of African American children in the neighborhood known as The Hill, with the Church of God in Christ lending classroom space as needed. Teachers George Stevens and Gloria Echols lived among their students, and Stevens served as principal for decades; graduates continued on to I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth. A modern facility opened in 1954, named for educator Booker T. Washington, until Arlington's 1965 desegregation closed the school.
Why it matters
It documents the segregated schooling Black Texans built for themselves and the arrival of desegregation, a central chapter in the American struggle for equal education.
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Related people
- · George Stevens
- · Gloria Echols
- · Booker T. Washington
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The Hill
Arlington, TX
"The Hill" was the only part of Arlington set aside for its African American residents, emerging in the 1890s on former Thomas family land and taking shape after Edward F. Wilkerson subdivided his addition in 1907. Churches like Mt. Olive Baptist and Armstrong Chapel AME anchored spiritual and social life, while grocery stores, clubs, restaurants, and a county school for Black children built a vibrant community. The last segregated school, named for Booker T. Washington and built in 1953, closed with integration in the 1960s, and the nearby park was named for principal George Stevens.
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