HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

Guadalupe High School

Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Chartered Dec. 3, 1849; the 30 men in corporation each held $1,000 worth of stock. This was first Seguin school financed through public subscription. Plant was in use in 1850. Dr. Joseph E. Parks, nationally known chemist who had moved here from Kentucky, was in charge of the construction, which was mainly of patented parks concrete. This two-story building was used for many years by church groups, for worship services. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1962

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Chartered in December 1849, Guadalupe High School was Seguin's first school financed through public subscription, funded by thirty men who each held a thousand dollars of stock. Its building was in use by 1850 and was constructed under Dr. Joseph E. Parks, a nationally known chemist, largely from his patented "Parks concrete." The two-story structure long doubled as a gathering place for church congregations and worship.

Why it matters

The school reflects the early Texas commitment to education, when communities pooled private capital to build public learning before state school systems existed.

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Related people

  • · Dr. Joseph E. Parks

Themes & tags

EducationSchool

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