History of Gravel Hill School in Manor, Texas explored and revisited.

Gravel Hill School is one of the many forgotten schools of Manor and Travis County. Very little is known about the Gravel Hill School except for the fact that it was a “rural negro school”. This news article will explain the in-depth history about Gravel Hill School.


Gravel Hill School was built as a two-room schoolhouse in 1928 on 2 acres of land in Manor, Texas. Gravel Hill School was built under the 1928-1929 county budget, application number 39-H for a total cost of $2,559. The Manor community contributed $700, the public contributed $1,650, and Julius Rosenwald contributed $200. It was a two-teacher school. (Ref: 1928-1929 county budget, application number 39-H)

Gravel Hill School was a white building with small classrooms and very few windows. Conditions were often crowded. Lighting was provided by oil lamps. For the winter, heat was provided by coal heaters. Wood was used for fires. The drinking water was in buckets and barrels. Gravel Hill School had a large playground. 

The school was located south of Wilbarger Creek on Parsons Road by Parsons Meadows. The school was located west of Parsons Road. The exact address for this school is unknown.

In the beginning, Gravel Hill School only educated students in grades 1st through 7th. 8th grade students would attend school in Manor or Littig depending on what was closer to them.

Travis County Common School District (Travis County Public Schools) operated the school from 1928 to 1937. Gravel Hill School had 70 students with an average daily attendance of 50 students. The cost per year was $951 with an average of $19.81 per student per year. The 2 teachers taught school for 160 days and were paid for 8 months. Teachers often had four or more grades in one room. (Ref: https://www.traviscountytx.gov/images/historical_commission/Doc/Histroical_Reports/aa_rural_schools_30-40.pdf)


Grades 8th through 11th were added in the 1930s thus making Gravel Hill School a 1-11 school. Gravel Hill School was among the 42 rural negro schools that had been established in Travis County and Austin by the mid-1930s.
 (Ref: Austin American-Statesman, D1, Sunday, January 11, 2015)

Students learned a lot of the same material at Gravel Hill School. “We had to study hard, and the teachers expected a lot," said Lois Earls Daniels. “It was expected that we attend school as much as possible.” (Ref: Austin American-Statesman, January 14, 2015)


In 1937, Gravel Hill School was closed and its students were sent to Manor to attend Manor ISD schools such as Manor Negro School (Manor Colored School), Clayton Vocational Institute, and Manor Colored High School. Some students attended school in Littig in schools such as Littig Negro School No. 1, Littig Negro School No. 2, and Littig High School. 

When the school closed in 1937, it became abandoned. It could have been possible that Travis County Common School District sold the building to a private owner where it became a private residence. Exactly what happened to Gravel Hill School after 1937 is unknown. Not much has been written or documented about Gravel Hill School after the school had closed.


Blue Bonnet Coop reports that the Gravel Hill School is abandoned. No other use of this building was reported by Blue Bonnet Coop on their website. (Ref: https://www.bluebonnetelectric.coop/Community/News/articles/2017/Magazine-Stories/THE-OTHER-HILL-COUNTRY-Our-regional-high-points)

However according to satellite aerials of the area from 1984 provided by HistoricAerials.com, the school had been either demolished or moved to a different location. (Ref: Travis County aerial map of 1984 online at NETR Historic Aerials)


Gravel Hill School was located on Parsons Road, Manor, Texas, US 78653.