History of the Lampasas Colored School
The oldest public school building in Lampasas, and a reminder of the era of segregated education.
A school for Black students in East Lampasas
After Emancipation, many freed families settled east of Sulphur Creek in what became known as East Lampasas, an almost entirely Black neighborhood. The Lampasas Colored School grew out of that community. Black children were being taught in Lampasas by 1877, and in 1898 Prof. Thomas L. Williams helped buy the College Street lot where the school stands today.
The rectangular limestone schoolhouse was built in 1923 and shows distinctive stone craftsmanship in its coursed rubble walls, stringcourse, copestone, quoins and decorative niches. It served Black students until 1963, when Lampasas schools integrated. Today it is being preserved by Lampasas Colored School (LCS) Inc. alongside the neighboring New Hope Baptist Church.
Quick facts
| Name | Lampasas Colored School |
|---|---|
| Address | 514 College Street, Lampasas, Texas 76550 |
| Present building | Two-room limestone schoolhouse built April–May 1923 |
| On this site since | 1898 (earlier Black school in Lampasas: by 1877) |
| School closed | 1963, when Lampasas schools integrated |
| National Register of Historic Places | Listed April 24, 2002 (reference #02000404) |
| Texas Historical Commission | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 2009 (marker #15734) |
| Today | City of Lampasas approved transfer to LCS on June 22, 2026 |
From the first schoolhouse to today
- 1877
The Lampasas Dispatch names trustees for the “colored school”: William Griffin, James Gibson and Henry Storm. It is the earliest record found of a school for Black children in Lampasas.
- About 1892
Prof. Thomas L. Williams, a Prairie View graduate, begins teaching Black children in Lampasas.
- 1898
On July 29, Williams raises $25 and, with the school board, buys the lot on College Street where the school still stands. A donated wood-frame schoolhouse is moved onto it.
- 1908
Enrollment peaks at 111 students.
- 1920
J. R. S. Hollowell becomes principal.
- 1922
Citizens vote in favor of a $40,000 bond to remodel the grammar school and high school for white students and to erect a new building for Black students.
- 1923
The current two-room limestone school is built in April and May in front of the older frame building, which is torn down.
- 1927
Overcrowding forces the school board to divide the day: each group of students uses the building four hours a day.
- 1941
The Colored Parent Teacher Association is organized at the school.
- 1948
Improvements add a covered stone entry on the east side (later removed) and an extension to the south for a new stage. Billie E. Orman becomes principal and serves until the school closes.
- 1950 & 1951
The Dramatic Arts Club and Community Youth Choir (1950) and boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, the Eagles and Eaglettes (1951), are organized at the school.
- 1951
For years Black students in Lampasas were taught only ten grades and had to attend schools in larger cities to finish high school. On November 7 the school board allows the Lampasas Colored School to teach all twelve grades.
- 1952
During the Army’s Operation Long Horn, the building serves as a USO for Black soldiers.
- 1954
A 32-page yearbook, The Eagle, is produced for the school.
- 1963
The school board votes on February 12 to close the school. All Lampasas students go to school together starting with the 1963–64 school year.
- 1964
The school district deeds the building to Lampasas County. The county uses it for storage.
- 2001
The building is threatened with demolition, but concerned citizens raise money to save it. It is bought for the City of Lampasas.
- 2002
The school is listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 24.
- 2009
The Texas Historical Commission designates the school a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and places its marker.
- 2025
Lampasas Colored School (LCS) is established to care for the school and New Hope Baptist Church.
- 2026
On January 28 the City of Lampasas states its intent to grant both properties to LCS. On June 22 the City Council votes unanimously to approve the transfer.
What the Texas Historical Commission marker says
The oldest public school building in Lampasas is also a reminder of the era of segregated education. This was the site of a schoolhouse for African American students in 1898. In 1922, citizens voted in favor of a $40,000 bond to remodel the grammar school and high school for white students and erect a new building for Black students. The new school was built in April–May 1923 in front of the existing frame building, which was torn down. J. R. S. Hollowell was principal of the Lampasas Colored School at the time.
In 1927, overcrowding caused the school board to divide the school day between younger and older children, with each group using the building four hours per day. Activities organized at the school included the Colored Parent Teacher Association (1941), Dramatic Arts Club and Community Youth Choir (1950) and boys’ and girls’ basketball (1951). In 1948, improvements to the building included a covered stone entry (later removed) on the east façade and an extension to the south to accommodate a new stage area. For many years, African American children were taught ten grades in Lampasas and had to attend schools in larger cities to complete high school. In 1951, the school board allowed the Lampasas Colored School to begin teaching 12 grades. The school closed in 1963, and all Lampasas students went to school together starting with the 1963–64 school year.
The rectangular-plan limestone schoolhouse with low gable roof exhibits distinctive stone craftsmanship in its coursed rubble walls, stringcourse, copestone, quoins and decorative niches. In 1964 the school district deeded the building to Lampasas County, who used the facility for storage. In 2001 the building was threatened with demolition, but concerned citizens raised money for its preservation and reuse.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 2009. Marker is property of the State of Texas.
Restoration is underway
In January 2026 the City of Lampasas stated its intent to grant the school and New Hope Baptist Church to LCS “to celebrate the diverse heritage of the City’s history” and for educational purposes. On June 22, 2026, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the transfer.
The interior is still unfinished and waiting for restoration. Your support helps turn the schoolhouse into a place for education, culture and community. See more photos in the gallery.
Sources and further reading
- Texas Historical Commission, historical marker for the Lampasas Colored School (marker #15734, 2009).
- National Register of Historic Places nomination, Lampasas Colored School (#02000404), prepared 2001 by Jeff Jackson and Judy Chapin.
- Texas Historical Commission historic marker application for the Lampasas Colored School, 2008.
- City of Lampasas, letter of intent, January 28, 2026, and City Council minutes, June 22, 2026.
- Preservation Texas, “Historic Resources of East Lampasas” (Most Endangered Places, 2023).