History of Colorado Hall in Austin, Texas explored.

There is quite some interestingly complicated history of the Colorado Hall in Austin, Texas. The Colorado Hall is now home to Montopolis Friendship Community Center. Colorado Hall served as a dance hall for the Montopolis community.

A large sign over the entryway to Montopolis Friendship Community Center reads: “Colorado Hall.” One might think this building was once home to a dance hall. That is correct. However that is not only the case. The Colorado Hall was also home to Colorado School on 507 Vargas Road before being moved to Citivan Park in 1955.


History for Colorado Hall began in the early 1950s. Colorado Hall was built as a wooden building with central heating in 1951. Colorado Hall served as the Colorado School located on 507 Vargas Road where Citizen Park is located. Its windows were different from the current ones you see today. The school was painted yellow.

The land for Civitan Park was purchased by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department in 1953 after the City of Austin had annexed the Montopolis neighborhood. (Ref: Austin American Statesman, History built on history at Montopolis Friendship Community Center, Wednesday, October 11, 2017)

The first 3 grades of the Colorado White School (Colorado School) were moved to the site on Vargas Road in 1954 where Allison Elementary School and Citivan Park are located today. This was because the Colorado School was located dangerously close to Bergstrom Air Force Base. The dangers of being closely located near the Bergstrom Air Force Base runway made an unsafe learning environment. 

As cited from an Austin American-Statesman news article written by Bill Brammer from 1954, the “first three grades of the school were moved to another site about two miles away on Vargas Road.”
(Ref: Austin American-Statesman, 1954)

In 1955 when Allison Elementary School was built, students from the Colorado School were sent to attend Allison Elementary School. Colorado School was shut down immediately after construction for Allison Elementary School was completed. Colorado School and Colorado Hall were vacant by 1955. However Colorado Hall was still open and served as a community dance hall.

The Colorado Hall was moved to Citivan Park in 1955. Montopolis Friendship Community Center began using Colorado Hall in January 1956 when it was organized by the Women’s Societies of Christian Service of the Methodist Churches of Austin. The initial effort provided financial and volunteer help to the Emmanuel Methodist Church kindergarten.

They found that the Montopolis neighborhood was an area isolated from most agency services despite being served by several agencies. Montopolis was an area lacking community services.

Austin Public Schools (Austin ISD) allowed them to use the old Colorado School building where the first bilingual kindergarten program in Austin starting in 1957. Colorado School was then used as a kindergarten. A thrift store was opened adjacent to the school to finance this effort. The thrift store offered used goods to the community. Montopolis Friendship Community Center officially opened on September 6, 1957.

In addition, 2 single story World War II-era barracks were purchased for $1 in 1957 and refashioned into three rooms on the east end of Civitan Park. 2 of these buildings were indeed former barracks from military surplus.


Colorado Hall would continued to be used as a school for kindergarten until 1961. Montopolis Friendship Community Center acquired title to the school building when park property was turned over to Austin Parks and Recreation later that year. After 1961, Colorado Hall would no longer continue to house a school. The kindergarten program was moved into another building on the same property to all additions and expansion of other buildings.

Colorado Hall no longer served as a school but a dance hall and community center instead. Preteens from Allan Junior High School, O. Henry Middle School, and University Junior High School jolted the dance hall with square dancing during the 1960s. By the 1960s, Colorado Hall was a popular dance hall in the Montopolis neighborhood.

A 1,100 square foot health clinic and community room were added to the school in 1965. The health clinic was not only vital but was essential to the neighborhood of Montopolis.

Leaders Velma Miles and Oliver Sponberg led a campaign in 1982 to add more space and plumbing. They spent all of $12,500. More and more groups met at the facility after these upgrades were completed. A second building for two new classrooms was built in 1982. (Ref: http://www.mfccaustin.org/history-1.html)


The buildings that make up the center today were part of the Colorado Common School District (now Del Valle ISD) before Montopolis was annexed by Austin. Colorado Hall is now located 2 blocks away from Allison Elementary School. Today Colorado Hall is located at 403 Vargas Road, Austin, Texas, US 78741.