Bastrop Colorado School history long forgotten.

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 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.

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.

In 1970, the school simply closed down due to a lack of enrollment. Bastrop Independent School District trustees sold the land to Mt. Zion Church. 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. From 1980 to 2008, Becky and Steven Rivers stored their tractors and related farm equipment there for a short period before abandoning it. For almost a decade, the former school building was abandoned. By 2015 the building was falling apart from years of neglect and decaying. In 2017, the former school building was demolished.

The location of the Colorado School of Bastrop was 579 FM 969, Bastrop, Texas, US 78602.