Colorado School No. 4 was the original Montopolis School which originated at the location of 100 Bastrop Highway, Austin, Texas, US 78742 near the Colorado River east of US 183 from 1891 until 1934. Colorado School No. 2 was located on the same property next to Colorado School No. 4 and were two single story buildings by Colorado Common School District (now Del Valle ISD).
Colorado School No. 4 educated African American students in grades 1 through 8 as the school had been a 1-8 school. The school was first named as Colorado School in the 1890s as was the case with many schools located within the Colorado Common School District. Colorado School namesake came from the Colorado River just 1 block away from the school site. Montopolis School was first called Colorado School No. 4 and was a part of Colorado Common School District from the beginning.
Colorado School No. 4 had been renamed to Burditt’s Prairie School sometime during the 1920s. Enrollment dropped a slow rate in 1927. The 1927-1928 school year saw a decline in enrollment.
A flood during a storm destroyed the original school in 1934. The old school building was completely destroyed by the flood during the storm. From 1934 to 1935, the Montopolis School was rebuilt and moved to a different location at 500 Montopolis Drive. The new school building was built with wood from the old school building and new wood from a nearby lumber yard. A two-roof frame from former US Army barracks from Camp Swift in Bastrop County was relocated to the site and was renovated for school use. Burditt’s Prairie School was renamed to Montopolis School that same year.
In 1935, the Montopolis School reopened and classes continued. The site for the new location of the Montopolis School was 500 Montopolis Drive, Austin, Texas, US 78741. St. Edward’s Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. J. H. Harrel donated 1.82 acres of land to Colorado Common School District #36 in 1935. More land was donated to the school overtime as the years passed.
Sometime during the 1930s, the name for Burditt’s Prairie School reverted back to “Colorado School”. The “Colorado School” stuck until the 1940s when it renamed again to Montopolis School. The school went by Montopolis School and Montopolis Negro School before closing in 1962.
Colorado School No. 4 was located at 100 Bastrop Highway, Austin, Texas, US 78742 and is now located at 500 Montopolis Drive Austin, Texas, US 78741.
No comments:
Post a Comment