The Colorado School in Bastrop, Texas is one of the many long forgotten institutions of Bastrop/Bastrop County that has faded away from peoples memory and minds. Many have long forgotten about the existence of this school. The Colorado School of Bastrop was one of the many rural Bastrop County schools that was from the bygone era of 1800’s. However not much is known about this school.
The Colorado School of Bastrop was built in an architectural style of a vernacular farmhouse. In fact, the front of the school building resembled closely to a barn building more so than a farmhouse. Being that the school was located far out in the country, it was to be considered appropriate for the school to resemble a barn building. However the school was painted a grayish white color. Still gray though. A garage was later added as an addition to this school.
The Colorado School of Bastrop was built in 1892 near the banks of the Colorado River in rural Bastrop, Texas. The school was operated by Bastrop Independent School District (Bastrop ISD) from 1892 to 1970. This school taught grades 1 through 8. Eventually the Colorado School of Bastrop taught grades 9 through 12. But mostly the Colorado School taught grades 1 through 8.
Attendance was never very high due to the agricultural lifestyle in the area. Students had to tend to family farms during harvesting season. Students had to pick cotton and work in the fields to grow crops. Some students who lived in the community did not attend school until the 6th grade because these students would have to help their families grow crops during harvesting season. Sessions for school were operated on a tight schedule due to budgetary reasons.
Students had to use outhouses located not too far away from the school as the Colorado School did not receive indoor plumbing until near mid-20th century. 2 separate outhouses were located outside the Colorado School. The wait to use these facilities was long and time consuming. Some students and teachers simply used the forest that surrounded the area.
The Colorado School is also where a brutal murder took place. Louis Drisdale was killed at the Colorado Schoolhouse on the day of May 21, 1897. Allen White brutally killed Louis Drisdale in a cold act of murder. 2 years later in 1899 is when Allen White was convicted of murder in the first degree. He was sentenced to life in prison. (Ref: The South Western Reporter, Volume 50, May 1899, https://books.google.com/books?id=whc8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA705#v=onepage&q&f=false)
Around 1940 is when the Colorado School received indoor plumbing yet those 2 separate outhouses were located outside remained on the property until closure. The school still had no electricity.
The school closed down in 1970 due to a lack of enrollment. Bastrop Independent School District sold the land to Mt. Zion Church on a deed. Mt. Zion Church occupied this school building holding services there from 1970 to 1980.
In 1980, Mt. Zion Church was sold to Becky T. Rivers (Rebecca T. Rivers) and Steven D. Rivers. Becky and Steven Rivers stored their tractors and related farm equipment there for a short period before abandoning it. The exact date of when this school was abandoned is unknown. The former school building had already fallen into to a state of rural decay by 2008. Conditions of this school building worsened by 2009.
The Colorado School was severely burned during the Bastrop wildfires of 2011. This building was destroyed by the wildfires. A hole in the roof had formed and several windows were destroyed due to the harsh weather conditions. The building had already been falling apart from years of neglect prior to Bastrop wildfires of 2011. The building was beyond saving after the Bastrop wildfires were extinguished. Most of the flooring was ruined and destroyed during the wildfires of course.
The former school building was demolished in 2017 by owners Becky T. Rivers and Steven D. Rivers. All that remains of the Colorado School is a pile of white wood and debris of material that was used to construct the school building which remains partially visible from the roadside of FM 969.
There is a cemetery located next to this school. The cemetery is known as the Colorado School Cemetery. Burials there precede the 20th century dating back to the 1800s. However there are no known tombstones recorded. The Colorado School Cemetery remains hidden and surrounded by vegetation today.
The location of the Colorado School of Bastrop was 579 FM 969, Bastrop, Texas, US 78602.
The Colorado School of Bastrop was built in an architectural style of a vernacular farmhouse. In fact, the front of the school building resembled closely to a barn building more so than a farmhouse. Being that the school was located far out in the country, it was to be considered appropriate for the school to resemble a barn building. However the school was painted a grayish white color. Still gray though. A garage was later added as an addition to this school.
The Colorado School of Bastrop was built in 1892 near the banks of the Colorado River in rural Bastrop, Texas. The school was operated by Bastrop Independent School District (Bastrop ISD) from 1892 to 1970. This school taught grades 1 through 8. Eventually the Colorado School of Bastrop taught grades 9 through 12. But mostly the Colorado School taught grades 1 through 8.
Attendance was never very high due to the agricultural lifestyle in the area. Students had to tend to family farms during harvesting season. Students had to pick cotton and work in the fields to grow crops. Some students who lived in the community did not attend school until the 6th grade because these students would have to help their families grow crops during harvesting season. Sessions for school were operated on a tight schedule due to budgetary reasons.
Students had to use outhouses located not too far away from the school as the Colorado School did not receive indoor plumbing until near mid-20th century. 2 separate outhouses were located outside the Colorado School. The wait to use these facilities was long and time consuming. Some students and teachers simply used the forest that surrounded the area.
The Colorado School is also where a brutal murder took place. Louis Drisdale was killed at the Colorado Schoolhouse on the day of May 21, 1897. Allen White brutally killed Louis Drisdale in a cold act of murder. 2 years later in 1899 is when Allen White was convicted of murder in the first degree. He was sentenced to life in prison. (Ref: The South Western Reporter, Volume 50, May 1899, https://books.google.com/books?id=whc8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA705#v=onepage&q&f=false)
Around 1940 is when the Colorado School received indoor plumbing yet those 2 separate outhouses were located outside remained on the property until closure. The school still had no electricity.
The school closed down in 1970 due to a lack of enrollment. Bastrop Independent School District sold the land to Mt. Zion Church on a deed. Mt. Zion Church occupied this school building holding services there from 1970 to 1980.
In 1980, Mt. Zion Church was sold to Becky T. Rivers (Rebecca T. Rivers) and Steven D. Rivers. Becky and Steven Rivers stored their tractors and related farm equipment there for a short period before abandoning it. The exact date of when this school was abandoned is unknown. The former school building had already fallen into to a state of rural decay by 2008. Conditions of this school building worsened by 2009.
The Colorado School was severely burned during the Bastrop wildfires of 2011. This building was destroyed by the wildfires. A hole in the roof had formed and several windows were destroyed due to the harsh weather conditions. The building had already been falling apart from years of neglect prior to Bastrop wildfires of 2011. The building was beyond saving after the Bastrop wildfires were extinguished. Most of the flooring was ruined and destroyed during the wildfires of course.
The former school building was demolished in 2017 by owners Becky T. Rivers and Steven D. Rivers. All that remains of the Colorado School is a pile of white wood and debris of material that was used to construct the school building which remains partially visible from the roadside of FM 969.
There is a cemetery located next to this school. The cemetery is known as the Colorado School Cemetery. Burials there precede the 20th century dating back to the 1800s. However there are no known tombstones recorded. The Colorado School Cemetery remains hidden and surrounded by vegetation today.
The location of the Colorado School of Bastrop was 579 FM 969, Bastrop, Texas, US 78602.
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