Thursday, September 12, 2019

History of Brownsville School in Denison, Texas explored.

The Brownsville School was established as a negro school by Denison Public Schools. The school was built with lumber removed from the Cotton Mill School and the old Golden Rule School during the summer of 1922. September is when Brownsville School first opened. Cotton Mill School was the precursor to Brownsville School. (Ref: https://www.heralddemocrat.com/article/20140517/news/305179898)

Now the school itself was located in a one-story wooden box frame building which was considerably small by modern standards of today. Brownville School was located at the address of 2908 South Woodlawn Boulevard in Denison, Texas.

Ruth Bates was the first teacher to have taught at this school. She was its teacher for 43 years until closing in 1965. Gertrude Bruce was another teacher who taught in the Brownsville schoolhouse until 1931. Lucy Brown Moore became the first librarian.

Brownsville School served African American students for over 4 decades. Students in grades 1st through 7th were educated here. Grades 8th through 10th were eventually added. School stopped after 10th grade. 11th grade students (senior high school students) went to attend school in Sherman. Soon the 10th grade was dropped.

Brownsville School was referred to as a segregated, one-room schoolhouse in the 1950s for students in grades 1st through 7th. Brownsville School also operated under the name of Brownville School. (Ref: https://www.heralddemocrat.com/news/local/one-room-schools-lost-not-forgotten)

Brownsville School closed in 1965 due to racial desegregation. 1966 is when Brownsville School was relocated to 2900 South Woodlawn. The school was modified sometime in the 1980s. Today Brownsville School is now home to Kent’s Tex-Mex Restaurant. (Ref: www.andersonterrellschool.org/Brownsville School.pdf)

Brownsville School was originally located at 2908 Woodlawn Boulevard, Denison, Texas, US 75020. Today Brownsville School is now located at 2900 Woodlawn Boulevard Denison, Texas, US 75020.

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