Site of Old Grammar School
Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Although public education in Cameron County had begun in 1854, the city of Brownsville was able to set up its own public school system in 1875, with classes held in various buildings throughout the city. In 1887 Captain William Kelly, chairman of the board of trustees, began a reorganization of the school system and called J. Frank Cummings to be superintendent of the Brownsville Schools. Cummings, a native of Brownsville, led the board of trustees to erect a centrally located school building on property that was donated by the city council. In October 1889 the Brownsville Public School, which housed the Grammar, Junior, and Senior High classes, opened at this site. The building originally had 12 rooms on two floors, crowned by a cupola, and was expanded as enrollment increased. Supt. Cummings and 12 teachers taught the 9 grades. The first graduates, Aggie Willman and Annie Russell, received their diplomas in 1890. Although the original building was razed in 1929, the present school was constructed with some of the bricks from the old school. In continuous use as a location for education since 1889, this site maintains an important link to the city's early history.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Though public schooling reached Cameron County in 1854, Brownsville founded its own system in 1875 and, under superintendent J. Frank Cummings, opened a twelve-room school crowned with a cupola on this site in 1889. Its first two graduates, Aggie Willman and Annie Russell, received diplomas in 1890, and the ground has served education ever since.
Why it matters
The rise of tax-supported public schools in border towns like Brownsville marked a major step in extending American public education to the Rio Grande frontier.
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Related people
- · William Kelly
- · J. Frank Cummings
- · Aggie Willman
- · Annie Russell
Themes & tags
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