White Stone School was part of the Williamson County Common School District for a quarter of the 20th century from 1923-1952 and educated students in grades 1-8. White Stone School is one of the forgotten schools of Williamson County. This news article will explain and explore the history of White Stone School/Whitestone School in Cedar Park, Texas.
White Stone School was built out of native limestone rock donated by the Allen Quarry in 1923. White Stone School would later open during the 1923-1924 school term in a single story building located on the northwest corner of FM 1431 (Whitestone Boulevard) & US 183 in Cedar Park, Texas. A kitchen was located on the right side of the building. There were a handful of supply rooms. Mostly up front.
White Stone School District (Whitestone Common School District/White Stone Common School District) was formed in 1923 after the consolidation of Cedar Park School District and Block House. These schools were consolidated to form the new White Stone School District. (Ref: Williamson County Deed Book 62, pg. 25-27)
Thomas L. Allen began plans for consolidating Cedar Park School and Block House School a year prior. Cedar Park School, New Hope School, and Block House School were part of the Cedar Park School District which would be consolidated into White Stone Common School District. A petition led to each of the schools closing. Cedar Park School was obsolete and in need of repair. (Ref: Clara Stearns Scarbrough, Land of Good Water: A Williamson County History, Page 24)
About 35 students in grades 1 through 8 attended White Stone School the first year. By the end of the decade, 40 students attended the school.
More limestone excavated from the quarries of White Stone Quarry was used as bricks to more rooms to meet expansion needs in 1930. White Stone Quarry donated a lot of limestone to be used for the White Stone School building.
Williamson County Sun had reported roadway improvements and other work were being done to Whitestone Boulevard by the State Highway Department in 1950. However topping was postponed until April for some reason. The roadwork was done for the school too. (Ref: Williamson County Sun, Dirt Work Continues On Whitestone Road, Page 1, March 14, 1950)
“Dirt work on the Whitestone Road - Farm-to-Market Road No. 1328—is almost finished, County Judge Sam V. Stone stated last week. Topping will be postponed until April. The Whitestone Road is being improved from Whitestone School. 1.8 miles to the Travis County line. The State Highway Department is rebuilding the road.”
White Stone School District and White Stone School were consolidated into Leander Independent School District (Leander ISD) in 1952. Now White Stone School was at the corner of FM 1431 & US 183 by then. White Stone School was closed soon after being into Leander Independent School District. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=mKw1AQAAMAAJ, US 183 Alternate from RM 620 to Approximately Three Miles North of the City)
The Student Geology Society of the University of Texas (UT Austin) discovered fossils such as Ceratostreon texanum, Holectypus planatus, Verticellate alga, Neithea irregularis, and Dictyoconus walnutensus on the White Stone School property in 1977. Several other fossils were found and retrieved to be sent UT Labs as well. The Whitestone Lentil was possibly discovered there too. (Ref: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/63760/Guidebook%20to%20the%20Geology%20of%20Travis%20County.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y)
The White Stone School building was being restored and used as an office building for Leander ISD offices in 1984. The building was used as an office for a short period of time before being later dismantled because of roadway improvements and expansion of US 183 sometime during the late 20th century around 1990. All those limestone bricks from the school were stored away on property owned by Preston Carlton around 1990. Roadway improvements led to the relocation and dismantling of this school building.
However there have been plans to rebuild the White Stone School building in its original location. Reconstruction of Whitestone School has been discussed before.
In 2007, The City of Cedar Park agreed that White Stone School has local and regional significance because it was the first school in what is now one of the region’s largest school districts in Williamson County. The plan was to turn the school into an educational museum. (Ref: https://www.cedarparktexas.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=1336)
The Community Impact Newspaper reported in 2008 that Cedar Park Heritage Society presented a proposal for a historical village on the site of the origins of Cedar Park on land owned by Betty Henry that is located on Brushy Creek Road. The White Stone School building would be included as part of the historical village. Apparently both Cedar Park Heritage Society and the historic and cultural preservation commission had contemplated the same concept for a while prior to 2008. Reconstruction of Whitestone School has been discussed before. (Ref: https://community-impact-website.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/wpengine/uploads/archives/RPH/issues/RPH-2008-02.pdf)
Today the legacy and name of White Stone School live on at White Stone Elementary School. That is where the namesake of that school came from. (Ref: https://whitestone.leanderisd.org/)
White Stone School was located on the northwest corner of FM 1431 (Whitestone Boulevard) & US 183, Cedar Park, Texas, US 78613. The school sat where Taqueria La Tapatia is currently located, on the northwest corner of US 183 and FM 1431, facing FM 1431. (Ref: https://community-impact-website.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/wpengine/uploads/archives/LCP/issues/LCP-2010-06.pdf)
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