Saturday, February 3, 2018

History of John T. Allan High School in Austin, Texas not forgotten.

In Edwin Waller’s 1839 plan for the City of Austin, two blocks were set aside for schools at Rio Grande and 12th Street. Elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools were specifically zoned to this area.

John T. Allan High School was built in 1916 at the location of 1218 West Avenue as planned by the Austin Public Schools school board (now Austin ISD). This three-story building was separated from the main building by West Avenue and connected with a walkway. At first John T. Allan High School shared the same campus where John T. Allan Junior High School (Allan Junior High School) and Austin High School located at 1212 Rio Grande Street from 1916 until 1925. (John T. Allan Junior High School was located at 1212 Rio Grande Street from 1916 to 1925.)

Additions to the West Avenue complex were completed later to accommodate growing enrollment. A new 2 story basement was dug in 1924. The basement was completed the same year. Special programs such as “manual training” and “domestic arts” were offered here in the early years. 1924, the decision was made to swap the Austin High School with Allan Junior High School.


By 1925, both John T. Allan High School, Allan Junior High School, and Austin High School all faced overcrowding due to growing enrollment. These buildings could no longer accommodate the growth by 1925. So Austin ISD came up with a plan to swap the 2 campuses.

1925 is when Allan Junior High School and Austin High School swapped campuses. Austin High School was moved to this location from on the corner of Trinity and 9th Street from their campus in 1925. The switch was made during the Thanksgiving holiday of that year. Allan Junior High School relocated to the corner of Trinity and 9th Street during that same year and had remained there until 1956 when a fire destroyed the school building.

Both Austin High School and Allan High School expanded its campuses north all the way to 13th Street in the late 1930s. Special programs such as “manual training” and “domestic arts” were offered here. A “tunnel” was built under West Avenue connecting to both schools in 1939. Enrollment was 300 students.

Until 1940, the high school only went through 11th grade. In 1940, Texas legislation passed added the 12th grade level to the high school and that has remained through present day. Student involvement increased during the 1940s.


In 1953 is when the name of John T. Allan High School was changed to Stephen F. Austin High School (aka SF Austin High School). John T. Allan High School was no more. The additional West Avenue building complex was transferred to the Austin High School campus.

The John T. Allan High School building at 1218 West Avenue was used for high school classes until 1975. In 1976 AISD shut down the building. For years the building was used for AISD offices. 2004 is the year when Austin ISD sold the John T. Allan High School building to Austin Community College.

For a number of years, Allan High School had maintained a record of academic excellence and concern for quality of education. Allan High School was and is one of Austin’s oldest high schools next to LC Anderson High School and University High School.

Today, the Austin ISD school campus of the former John T. Allan High School (Allan High School) and its other historical buildings is now used by Austin Community College (ACC). Although Austin ISD may own a portion of the campus, ACC assumes full control and property rights. Today John T. Allan High School building has a Texas Historic Landmark under the title of “Austin High School, Rio Grande Campus” near 1218 West Avenue, Austin, Texas, US 78701.

*Prior to 1926, Austin High School was known as Austin Senior High School.
*1926 is when Austin Senior High School changed its name to just Austin High School.

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