Vague information about the Doak Spring School is known. However it is one of the many numerous forgotten schools of Texas from the 19th century and 20th century. The tiny school was a negro school for African American students of Lincoln, Texas. This news article will explore the history behind Doak Spring School.
Doak Spring School was organized in 1897 in the African American community of Doak Springs located within Lincoln, Texas, which is outside of Lexington, Texas. The tiny school was a negro school for African American students serving elementary school grades and high school grades on 0.75 acres of land. Doak Spring School was a 1-11 school. Doak Springs supplied water to the Doak Springs School following 1897. Students took turns in bringing water to the school.
Doak Spring School was also known as Doak Springs School. The Doak Springs School name became more commonly used during the early 20th century. Throughout much of the 20th century, Doak Spring School was a 1-11 school that taught African American students in grades 1 through 11.
D.F. Smith and D.N. Smith served as principals at the Doak Springs School beginning at the 1908-1909 school year. Willie Smith was the only student during attending the Doak Springs School during the 1909-1910 school year.
The name for Doak Spring School was changed to Community School No. 49 when it was moved to the John Roberson place in 1909. Doak Springs formed its own school district called Doak Springs School District No. 33 during the same year. Doak Springs School District No. 33 operated Community School No. 49.
Doak Springs School was built at a cost of $3,000 in 1925 during the 1924-1925 school semester. This school was built using the Rosenwald Fund which provided buildings for the schools throughout the 1920s across the southern United States. The Rosenwald Fund provided for a new school building with expanded facilities. The 0.75 acres of land was expanded to 2 acres of land. (Ref: Fisk University, Rosenwald Database)
Student enrollment was around 150 into at least the 1950s. It was usually more than 100 students. (Ref: Handbook of Texas Online, Nolan Thompson, Doak Springs, TX, June 2, 2018)
The school board Lee County Common School District and Lexington ISD consolidated the Doak Springs school with the Lexington ISD school district on the date of Thursday, August 24, 1967. The school closed. (Ref: Rockdale Reporter, Page 1, Thursday, August 24, 1967)
From 1968 until the 1990s is when the school was used as a Baptist church. Sometime in the 1990s is when the Baptist church moved into another church building leaving the old school building abandoned. The school was sold to a private homeowner in 2004. Its building sat abandoned.
Today in the 21st century, the school now sits abandoned and overgrown by grass. The building still stands. The Doak Springs area is located in the southern end of the Lexington ISD school district.
Doak Spring School is located at 2432 FM 3403, Lincoln, Texas, US, 78948.
*[Doak Spring School was also known as Doak Springs School.]
*[Doak Spring School had its own school district.]
2432 was NOT the old doak springs school. The school was to the left hand side (from the roads view) of the single family home that is posted online. The school (which was called the center), was between the house and the current church.
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