Tilley School was one of the most well known schools of Orange County and Orange, Texas. Tilley School was an elementary school called Tilley Elementary School which operated from 1942 to 1965. It is where Lamar State College-Orange was established.
The property Tilley School was located on was originally owned by a housing company called Riverside Inc. Riverside Inc transferred the property over to the United States of America in 1942. (Ref: http://ors.co.orange.tx.us:8052/images/PDF0248.PDF)
Tilley School (Tilley Elementary School) was built in 1942 in the Riverside neighborhood of Orange, Texas where the former US Naval Station - Orange once was located on East Park Avenue. Some major renovations were made to the school as it operated. Principal for the Tilley School was Mary Lynn Weir. Tilley School was named in honor of William Tilley, a local resident who was killed in World War II whilst serving as a soldier. It was also called Tilley Tech.
Bids to build six classrooms for Tilley Elementary School were posted and advertised in the Orange Leader newspaper in 1951. A six-classroom annex was to be built. (Ref https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth557989/m1/2/)
A dedication for the six-classroom annex was held at 7:30 PM on Thursday, September 11, 1952. The six-classroom annex was opened to students the following week. An administrative section was built onto the building. The six-classroom annex was altered into a ten-classroom annex. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth557721/m1/1/)
In 1965, the school closed for whatever reason. This left the school to become vacant for some years. Lamar State College-Orange acquired and purchased abandoned school property from Orange ISD that once housed Tilley School (Tilley Elementary School) in the year of 1967. Tilley School had been abandoned prior to 1967. Lamar University would operate Lamar State College-Orange here a couple of years later after finding out the abandoned school needed to be repurposed. (Ref: The Portal to Texas History, Lamar State College - Orange)
In the fall of 1969, Lamar University opened its first extension center (Lamar State College-Orange) in Orange with classes held in the old Tilley Elementary School. The former principal's office became the office for the Center's director and secretary. The cafeteria became a student lounge. Floors to some of these rooms were varnished. Lamar University Extension Center with classes held in the old Tilley Elementary School. (Ref: The Redbird, An Essay on 'Tilley Tech, p. 12, February 6, 1970)
In the fall of 1969, Lamar University opened its first extension center called Lamar University Extension Center. Here Lamar University Extension Center was a branch of Lamar State College-Orange. (Ref: The Portal to Texas History, Lamar State College - Orange)
Tilley Tech was the nickname given to the first classes Lamar offered in Orange. The classes were held in the old Tilley Elementary School building. That is exactly why the school was known as Tilley Tech. (Ref: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Youknowyougrewuparoundorangetxif/posts/10150198554816376/)
On May 4, 1971 the former Tilley Elementary School building was destroyed by fire. Nothing remained afterwords. Everything salvageable was burnt to a crisp. After a fire destroyed the former Tilley Elementary 825School building in 1971, local citizens raised $250,000 to purchase property for a permanent campus. Lamar University purchased a former Sabine Supply Company building after a community-wide fundraising effort of more than $250,000 and relocated to 410 Front Street where the college remains today. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/partners/LAMAR/)
The United States of America sold the Tilley School property to J.R. Kidd. Carlos Vacek and Linda Buckley on a warranty deed for the price thereof $18.825 in 1984. However Orange County Commissioner Linda Buckley assumed full ownership and property rights sometime in the year of 1985. Her and J.R. Kidd both owned the property. However the property was still under the name of J.R. Kidd. (Ref: http://ors.co.orange.tx.us:8052/images/PDF0247.PDF)
J.R. Kidd sold the property to Linda Buckley in 2003. Linda Buckley sold the Tilley School property to the City of Orange, Texas on a warranty deed as part of a Real Property Exchange Agreement on the date of May 15, 2003. The City of Orange, Texas now owns the former Tilley School property. (Ref: http://ors.co.orange.tx.us:8052/images/PDF0245.PDF)
Tilley School was located at East Park Avenue, Orange, Texas, US 77630.
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