| Marker Number |
22620 |
| Atlas Number |
5000022620 |
| Marker Title |
Martindale School and Gymnasium |
| Index Entry |
Martindale School and Gymnasium |
| Address |
101 Lockhart St. |
| City |
Martindale |
| County |
Caldwell |
| UTM Zone |
14 |
| UTM Easting |
611541 |
| UTM Northing |
3301898 |
| Subject Codes |
schools; sports; recreation; educational topics |
| Marker Year |
2019 |
| Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
No |
| Marker Location |
N intersection of Lockhart Street and Main Street (River Road) |
| Private Property |
No |
| Marker Condition |
In Situ |
| Marker Size |
27" x 42" |
| Marker Text |
Martindale’s School and Gymnasium operated from 1921-1968 and served as a gathering spot for the entire community. Many recall fond and formative memories of “Old Martindale School,” whose large size brought the town together in sharing culture through education and entertainment. Residents looked forward to events like carnivals, Miss Louise Lawson’s music classes and fundraising events like faculty members playing basketball while riding donkeys.
The growing population of students in the farming town required a suitable site for classrooms and school functions. The new building was designed by Austin architects C.H. Page & Bro. in mission revival style. Built in 1921, concrete was transported by horse and carriage from San Antonio to be mixed on site and finished with stucco. In 1939, during the Great Depression, the Wildcats gladly welcomed the construction of a gymnasium. Austin architects Driscoll and Gross (also known for Barton Springs Bathhouse and Deep Eddy Bathhouse in Austin) designed the building with hollow tile and roof trusses by Carnegie Steel. Construction was partially funded by the Federal New Deal agencies.
The desegregation of 140 Hispanic students from a separate schoolhouse to join the main Martindale School occurred in 1948. There is no evidence or recollection of African American students attending Martindale School. Overall attendance declined as many residents flocked to urban areas in the 1960s. This caused depopulation and a contentious vote for the school to be merged with the San Marcos district in 1965. In the years after the school closed, the property served in various commercial and residential capacities. The site remains significant in the educational and cultural history of the community.
(2019)
|
