Brewton Springs School was called the Snuff Box School during the 19th century and early to middle 20th century because so many of its students chewed tobacco and dipped snuff. That is how the name Snuff Box came about. The architectural design of the school building was built as a snuff box. Because the school was shaped similarly to a snuff box, students called the school “Snuff Box School”. However the name Snuff Box did not derive from the architecture of the school building itself.
In 1881, the first school was built as a 15’ x 10’ foot box square building designed as a one-room schoolhouse located on the Jim Brewton farm. Hence the name Brewton Springs. The school only had one door. By 1881 Brewton Springs School had county funding and state funding allocated towards the school.
As cited in the book Lone Star Travel Guide to Texas Hill County, Brewton Springs School was also known as Snuff Box School. The Brewton Springs School was located east of Bee Cave. Brewton Springs School was located east of Bee Cave and west of Cuernavaca Drive near Patterson Road less than 0.2 miles of the junction of Cuernavaca Drive & FM 2244.
(Ref: Lone Star Travel Guide to Texas Hill County, 2011)
Even in the 1920s when most schools were 1-8 schools, Brewton Springs School was a 1-12 school unlike Eanes School were school stopped at 7th grade. From the 1920s on, Eanes School did not go beyond the 7th grade. The 1920s is when Eanes School began changing its scholastics by primarily teaching elementary school grades.
[From the 1920s on, Eanes School did not go beyond the 7th grade. The 1920s is when Eanes School began changing its scholastics by primarily teaching elementary school grades. 8th grade students were bussed to Allan Junior High School. Although Eanes School did not go beyond the 7th grade, Eanes School still taught middle school students and high school students until 1943.
After 1943, high school students attended Austin High School and Allan High School. Middle school students attended Allan Junior High School and later O. Henry Middle School. Some had remained at Eanes School as the school had taught middle school grades until 1950. In 1950, Eanes ISD sent its middle school students and high school students to Austin ISD. This would last until 1967.]
The school district surrounding Eanes School (the now Eanes Elementary School) and Brewton Springs School was considered a common school district that sent its high school students to Austin ISD. During that time only white families resided in the Eanes school district. Brewton Springs School was an all white school with a 97% white/caucasian student population.
(Ref: Eanes: Portrait of a Community, Linda Vance, 1986)
(Ref: Eanes: A History of the School and Community, Linda Vance, 1976)
1936 is when the school district began making plans to tear down and rebuild the then-current Brewton Springs School building. Meetings were held with the Superintendent of Travis County Public Schools.
In 1937 the school was torn down and rebuilt on John Teague’s property located on FM 2244 (Bee Cave Road) near Cuernavaca Drive by Patterson Road near Patterson Ranch. Homer Teague moved into the old schoolhouse afterwards. The other old schoolhouse remained as a private residence. While the school was being moved, classes were held in Watson Springs Baptist Church. Watson Springs Baptist Church was a single-room frame church. The church was also nicknamed “Snuff Box Church” because members of the congregation used to spit tobacco juice out of the window during services.
In 1948, Brewton Springs School began attempting to merge and consolidate into Eanes School District #48. Some Brewton Springs School students began attending the Eanes School. Eanes School District then operated both Eanes School and Brewton Springs School.
In 1949, both Brewton Springs School and its school district were consolidated into Eanes ISD under Gilmer-Aiken Law. Gilmer-Aiken Law consolidated many rural school districts, including Brewton Springs & Bee Cave, had reformed many Texas public schools. Eanes School students who wanted to continue their education past 7th grade either went to Brewton Springs School or to Allan Junior High School and Austin High School in Austin Public Schools (now Austin ISD). However Brewton Springs School continued to operate under Eanes ISD until 1950.
1950 was the year the Travis County Schools Superintendent and State of Texas closed down Brewton Springs School and its school district during the 1950-1951 school year. The school district itself was consolidated and abolished during the same year. Brewton Springs School students were merged with Eanes School and to Bee Cave School. Brewton Springs School students were merged to both Cox Springs School, Dripping Springs School, and Lago Vista School as well. Brewton Springs School shut down due to lack of enrollment.
In 1950, Brewton Springs School was shut down by the State of Texas due to Gilmer-Aiken Law after Bill No. 116 of the 50th legislature was passed. After Brewton Springs School shut down, its students were transferred to Eanes School. Eanes School then had 80 students. A third room to the two-room rock building of Eanes School was constructed in the same year to relieve overcrowding. Classes were now held at the Eanes School. Eanes ISD would continue busing its high school students to Austin ISD until 1967.
In 1950, Homer Teague and his two sons, Robert Teague and Jackson Teague, lived in the building under rough conditions. They would live their until they moved. In 1960, the building was abandoned on the Teague Land next to Commons Ford Ranch.
It is unknown and unclear whether or not anyone else besides the Teague family lived in the original Brewton Springs School building after consolidation with Eanes ISD whereas the other school building became a private residence.
In 1958, an election was held to change the status of the school from a common school district to independent. Eanes ISD chose to continue busing its middle school students and high school students to Austin ISD. (Ref: EISD Monthly Newsletter, Eanes School 50 Years Ago, April 1984)
In 1967, Austin ISD informed Eanes ISD that it could no longer continue to accept the middle school students and high school students. Their schools were full and space was needed for Austin ISD students. Eanes ISD was given the choice of either giving up its independent school district status and joining AISD or building its own facilities.
If Eanes had combined with AISD, it would have been forced to integrate its school. However, if the school chose to remain independent, it would only be required to integrate students within its district, and during that time only white families resided in the Eanes school district. The Westlake community chose to build its own schools.
(Ref: The Westlake Picayune, Austin Crowding Greatly Expanded Eanes Independent School District, March 2, 1979)
In 1985, Robert Teague gained ownership of the property from a handwritten gift deed produced in 1942 by the wife of Homer Teague.
In 1988, the (old) 5th Brewton Springs School building was moved to the Commons Ford Metropolitan Park in the Cuernavaca neighborhood by Robert Teague. Robert Teague donated Brewton Springs School to the City of Austin as an attempt of historic preservation. No known further work or renovations were done or made to the old Brewton Springs School building after 1988.
By 1990, the former school building fell victim to rural decay. Its windows were boarded up with plywood. No use was made.
Today the 5th Brewton Springs School building sits at the entrance of Commons Ford Metropolitan Park. Its windows are boarded up with plywood. A chimney was added to the building as an extra. It is highly possible that Homer Teague built the chimney.
Brewton Springs School was located near FM 2244 & Cuernavaca Drive, Austin, Texas, US 78733. The old Brewton Springs School is now located at 614 North Commons Ford Road, Austin, Texas US 78733.
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