Wheelock School House
Wheelock, Robertson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Education in the community dates to the Wheelock Academy in the 1840s. In 1907, Thomas Wade Hedrick and his son, William Love Hedrick, bought 220 acres and set aside 2.4 acres for a new school site. No records of county financing have been found, so it was likely financed by the community. The unusually large rural school built in 1908 is a two-story frame building with dormers, clapboard siding and double-hung windows. There are four classrooms on the first floor and a stage and auditorium encompassing the entire second floor. In the 1930s, five teachers served an enrollment of 200 pupils. Classes continued until the 1949-50 school year. Students then transferred to Franklin, and the Wheelock school became a community center. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2019
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Formal schooling in this Robertson County community reached back to the Wheelock Academy of the 1840s, but the landmark building came in 1908, when the Hedrick family set aside a few acres for an unusually large two-story frame schoolhouse. With four classrooms below and a full stage and auditorium above, it served up to 200 pupils and five teachers in the 1930s. Classes ran until 1949-50, after which students transferred to Franklin and the building became a community center.
Why it matters
Rural schools like Wheelock were the civic heart of scattered farm communities, often built and funded by neighbors themselves before consolidation drew children into larger towns.
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Related people
- · Thomas Wade Hedrick
- · William Love Hedrick
Themes & tags
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