William B. Lipscomb Elementary School
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This school, built in 1920 to relieve the crowded conditions of area schools, was named for early educator William B. Lipscomb. A Tennessee native (b. 1860), Lipscomb served as principal of Dallas High School from 1894 until his death five years later. The three-story structure, designed by architect Herbert M. Green and originally surrounded by over three acres of recreation grounds, boasts a facade trimmed with stone quoins and a basement wing with castellated stones revealing the date of construction. Two Gothic-style stone tablets adorn the two front entrances to display the school name. Since its official opening in 1921, the school has served as an educational and social center for the Swiss Avenue, Munger Place, and Junius Heights neighborhoods. Over the years the school's enrollment reflected its changing environment. Rapid urbanization in the 1920s gave way to economic woes in the Great Depression of the 1930s, followed by a surge of patriotic activity and wartime relief efforts during World War II. The post-war years brought decreased enrollment when many families began moving to suburbs, but subsequent decades have seen a renewed vitalization to the old school and neighborhoods. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1920 to ease crowding in Dallas's schools, this three-story building honored William B. Lipscomb, a Tennessee-born educator who led Dallas High School from 1894 until his death in 1899. Architect Herbert M. Green gave it stone quoins, castellated basement stonework, and Gothic tablets over its entrances, set amid three acres of playgrounds. Through the 1920s boom, the Depression, and World War II, the school anchored the Swiss Avenue, Munger Place, and Junius Heights neighborhoods.
Why it matters
The school stands as a century-long civic and social center whose shifting enrollment mirrored the growth, hardship, and renewal of its Dallas neighborhoods.
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Related people
- · William B. Lipscomb
- · Herbert M. Green
Themes & tags
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