Woodville Academy and Woodville College
Woodville, Tyler County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1849 in the new county courthouse (formerly at this site), the Woodville Academy offered advanced courses of study. Some of the subjects were astronomy, orthography (spelling), surveying and logic. In 1850 the school moved (1,500 ft. SE); it was sold, 1856. That same year the town of Woodville and Woodville College were chartered. The school-- in the old Masonic Lodge (1,200 ft. W)-- closed after a few years. Among some 40 higher schools chartered in Texas 1845-1861, these two reflect a state-wide surge of interest in education.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1849 in Woodville's new courthouse, the Woodville Academy taught ambitious subjects — astronomy, surveying, logic, and orthography — to a frontier community hungry for learning. In 1856 both the town and a new Woodville College were chartered, though the college in the old Masonic Lodge closed after only a few years. The two schools were among some forty higher schools chartered across Texas between 1845 and 1861.
Why it matters
These short-lived academies reflect the statewide surge of interest in education that accompanied Texas statehood, when even small towns aspired to colleges.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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