George Washington Carver School
Groveton, Trinity County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1881, the town of Groveton was established near the Trinity and Sabine Railway and Timber Company. With the availability for work, the area attracted settlers seeking employment. With the rapid increase in population, the need for services such as schools became apparent. By 1886, the Groveton Colored Community School operated within the school district but was underfunded. Steady population growth increased the need for better educational facilities for the African American community. In 1900, the Trinity County Lumber Company sold land to the Groveton School Cooperation for a new school located in the African American neighborhood. A wood-frame building was erected and used until 1955. In 1952, the school board purchased adjacent acreage and built a gymnasium, occasionally used for classrooms. By 1956, the school was known as George Washington Carver School in honor of the prominent botanist and inventor. Several years after purchasing additional acreage in 1955, the contract to build the new G.W. Carver School was awarded. After integration in 1965, the Carver School was repurposed as the Groveton Junior High. Throughout the years, many outstanding African American men and women served as teachers and staff, dedicated to education, integrity and compassion. Most notably, Mr. T.L. Mathis who was principal from 1956 to 1965. Mr. Mathis worked tirelessly to improve and advocate for the school and its students. Activities were typically funded and/or organized by the community or students such as sporting events and the marching band, a testament to the community’s dedication to education and civic duty. (2016)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
As Groveton grew around the railroad and its timber industry in the 1880s, its African American families built their own schools despite chronic underfunding. In 1900 the Trinity County Lumber Company sold land for a wood-frame school in the Black neighborhood, which served until 1955; by 1956 the growing school was named for botanist and inventor George Washington Carver. Principal T. L. Mathis led the school from 1956 to 1965, tirelessly advocating for its students, while the community itself funded sports, a marching band, and other activities. After integration in 1965, the building became Groveton Junior High.
Why it matters
The Carver School stands for the determination of Black communities to educate their children within a segregated system, and for the teachers whose dedication outlasted Jim Crow.
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Related people
- · T. L. Mathis
- · George Washington Carver
Related events
- · School integration (1965)
Themes & tags
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