History of Vickery School in Fort Worth explored.

Today Vickery School is one of Fort Worth’s most endangered schools that have been neglected and nearly forgotten. Many residents of Fort Worth, Texas seems to remember the school. Many of those urban explorers interested in the activity of urban exploration have seemed a huge interest in this particular school. 

Vickery School has undergone many name changes over the years with names such as R. Vickery School, R. Vickery Elementary School, Richard Vickery School, and Richard Vickery School.


In 1909, Fort Worth Star-Telegram published a report on the educational facilities of Fort Worth of new schools that were going to be built including the new Vickery School and new ward schools of the time. The school was named for Mr. Richard Vickery. (Ref: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 29, 1909)

The land for the school was purchased from J.A. Lewis and his wife for $800 dollars on July 8, 1909. Construction for Vickery School began in September 1909. Mrs. W. J. Caruth Sr. and the Caruth family donated land to the Vickery School along 300 acres of land to the City of Fort Worth. (Ref: Plano Daily Star-Courier, Page 3, January 1, 1959)

R. Vickery School opened as a school for white students. 100% of the student population was all white as Fort Worth ISD designated Vickery School as a “white school”. The Glenwood neighborhood was nearly 98% white or caucasian.

R. Vickery School was built at a cost of $42,000 in 1910 and was designed by Waller, Shaw, & Field. R. Vickery School was built as a new twelve-room school on 1905 East Vickery Boulevard in Fort Worth, Texas. R. Vickery School served the Glenwood neighborhood. It was built after Fort Worth annexed Glenwood. The school opened in September 1910. (Ref: https://hometownbyhandlebar.com/?p=2288)

The building is two stories (three stories total) on a raised basement and constructed out of buff brick. The front of the building features three classrooms separated by two stairwells. Entrances are located at the stairwell bays. Both front entrances feature small flat-roofed porches. The school was influenced by the Classical Revival architecture. The basement has 4 half-basement rooms. (Ref: http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/east/vickery.htm)


The campus was further enlarged in 1933 with the construction of 2 rooms, a cafeteria, and an auditorium. Wyatt Hedrick designed on a one story auditorium and a classroom wing to the school building in 1936 as a complimentary addition and completed in 1937. This wing housed additional classrooms. Vickery School then became Vickery Elementary School in 1937. Grades 1 through 8 were educated here.

As reported by El Paso Herald, On September 24, 1947, former principal Elmo R. Reeves of R. Vickery School was set free from being charged on two counts of theft, after the Tarrant County grand jury yesterday failed to return an indictment against him. Complaints had charged him with taking $910.75 and $42.50 from funds donated by Mrs. R. Vickery as a memorial to her late husband, for whom the school was named. (Ref: El Paso Herald, Page 18, September 24, 1947)

Sometime during the mid-1960's is when a one-story metal building addition was constructed to the rear of the building.

R. Vickery Elementary School closed as a white school in May 1962. R. Vickery Elementary School would reopen as a black school in September 1963. By 1963, the student population was (Ref: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1EMHV_old-school-cache)


By 1983 during the 1983-1984 school year, the school building was underutilized and in need of physical renovation. The school also saw a decline in student population. The school closed in 1985. After Vickery School closed, students were rezoned to Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary School. (Ref: City of Fort Worth’s School Survey of 2002 to 2003)

Fort Worth Independent School District sold the property to Doyle Lee Fuller in 1985 after the school closed. Part of the Vickery School building was used as a night club called Club Frennadna’s. The brick on the basement and first floor were painted blue and white colors.

Club Frennadna’s shut down after TABC canceled their permit and license for alleged violations of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code in 2004. It was discovered that $1,700 dollars from a 1995 assessment went unpaid. The Administrative Law Judge (AWJ) recommended the permit and license be canceled.
(Ref: https://www.tabc.state.tx.us/laws/pfd_1999_2006/603890.pdf)

2007 is when Fuller Photo ID & Laminating Service took over a portion of the school building. ID’s were produced and processed inside of the building. Fuller Photo ID & Laminating Service shared the same space as Club Frennadna’s.

Vickery School has been sitting vacant and abandoned since then. Windows have been broken out due to vandalism. The interior has been exposed to elements of weather over the years. It has been reported that homeless people have been living behind the school.

By 2015, the site became a homeless camp. Police found skeletal remains behind Vickery Elementary School evicting more than 80 people using as a homeless camp. Homeless people had been living without permission. Reports of city workers cleaning up a wooded area where the when they found “full skeletal remains.” (Ref: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/03/29/skeletal-remains-found-at-cleared-fort-worth-homeless-camp/)


Today Vickery School is no longer owned by Fort Worth ISD. Photo ID & Laminating Service now owns Vickery School.

The City of Fort Worth has put the school building on the Endangered List as reported by HISTORIC FORT WORTH, INC. and the City of Fort Worth. R. Vickery School is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This historical building needs to be saved!


Vickery School is located at 1905 East Vickery Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas, US 76104.