Stonewall School
Mt. Pleasant, Titus County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This school traces its origin to educational instruction held in Bridges Chapel's First Methodist Church structure from 1867 until the early 1880s. According to local tradition a young teacher encouraged the community to "stand together like a stone wall" and a much needed school building was erected about 1884. A new school structure, built here in 1898 and enlarged about 1916 was razed and replaced by a two-room structure in 1953. The Stonewall School joined the Mount Pleasant Independent School District as a result of falling enrollment and closed its doors in 1957.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Instruction at Stonewall began in a Methodist chapel around 1867, and tradition holds that a young teacher urged the community to "stand together like a stone wall" — giving the school its name when a proper building went up about 1884. A larger schoolhouse followed in 1898 and was enlarged around 1916, then replaced by a two-room structure in 1953. Falling enrollment led Stonewall to join the Mount Pleasant district and close in 1957.
Why it matters
The rise and consolidation of Stonewall School mirrors the life cycle of thousands of small rural schools that educated post-Civil-War America before mid-century consolidation swept them away.
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Themes & tags
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