Site of Plunkett School
Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Hopkins County Commissioners Court established 32 school districts in 1867. District No. 30 became known as Plunkett School in 1903 when a new schoolhouse was built at this site and named for its builder, James W. Plunkett (1829-1914). W. A. Smith, P. B. and Lizzie Wise, and O. D. and Ollie Gillis donated land for the school. The schoolhouse also served as a meeting place for a Cumberland Presbyterian Church and a non-denominational congregation. Due to declining enrollment, the school closed in 1945 and the building was razed.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When the Hopkins County Commissioners laid out 32 school districts in 1867, District No. 30 was among them; it took the name Plunkett School in 1903 after a new schoolhouse was built here and named for its builder, James W. Plunkett. Local families donated the land, and the building did double duty as a meeting place for a Cumberland Presbyterian congregation and a non-denominational one. Falling enrollment closed the school in 1945, and the building was later razed.
Why it matters
The one-room country school and its shared role as a house of worship reflect how rural Texans pooled land and effort to educate their children and sustain community life.
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Related people
- · James W. Plunkett
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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