Donna Central Elementary School
Donna, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built as the result of a special bond election in 1925, this is the oldest existing structure in the Donna Independent School District. Initially an elementary school, it served as a junior high facility from 1965 to 1983. Designed by the architectural firm of Elwing & Mulhausen, it is a highly significant part of Donna's built environment. The school building features a two-story central block with a Tudor-arched entry and two large square towers. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1990
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Funded by a 1925 bond election, this is the oldest surviving building in the Donna Independent School District, designed by the firm of Elwing & Mulhausen. Its two-story central block, Tudor-arched entry, and pair of square towers made it a distinctive civic landmark. First an elementary school, it later served as a junior high from 1965 to 1983.
Why it matters
The building embodies the ambition of a growing South Texas town to invest in dignified public education during the 1920s, an era of rapid school-building across America.
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