AHNA Schools
Historic Schools Survey, 2003
Historic schools are treasured buildings within our communities. For former students, they can evoke the memory of blossoming friendships, favorite teachers, and perhaps simpler times. To residents of the adjacent neighborhoods, they are familiar landmarks and places of assembly. But beyond their symbolism for nostalgia and even public institutions, they are also physical records of the growth and development of our communities as well as records of changing architectural trends. Historic schools also have social and cultural significance and can inform our understanding of such issues as segregation as formerly practiced in our educational systems.
This survey documented a total of 95 historic schools; 85 were still functioning as schools and 10 had been converted to other uses. One school-related sports facility was also documented. It is hoped that the results of this survey will facilitate future planning efforts of the Fort Worth Independent School District (ISD), the City of Fort Worth, developers, and others by highlighting the historical and architectural significance of these public buildings and bringing them the recognition that they deserve while encouraging their preservation
To see the full document: http://www.fortworthgov.org/uploadedFiles/Planning/Historic_Preservation/Historic%20Schools%20Survey%20report%20web.pdf
South Hi Mount Elementary School, 4101 Birchman Avenue. 1936, c. 1949, c. 2003. This Arlington Heights area school is an eclectic blend of Colonial Revival and Moderne influences. It was financed by the PWA, designed by Hubert H. Crane and erected by Quisle and Andrews. The central wing of the 2-story building is divided by cast stone columns and flanked by pedimented porticos whose severe styling reflects a Moderne influence. Like the nearby Arlington Heights Senior High School, this building is also crowned with a lantern. In 1940, the school was featured in the publication, Texas Architecture, edited by Henry Whitworth. Four classrooms and a cafeteria were added during the 1948 Building Program and the former cafeteria was converted to two classrooms. Again, Crane was the architect for the addition and Paschall-Sanders Construction was the contractor. The multiple light window openings have been partially infilled with panels. A retaining wall located on the grounds may be remnants of WPA landscaping. The building is potentially eligible for the National Register for its architectural significance and its association with the history of education in Fort Worth. However, a large 10-classroom addition is currently being constructed along its southern elevation. The school’s architectural integrity will need to be reassessed after the addition is completed.
W. C. Stripling High School/W. C. Stripling Middle School, 2100 Clover Lane. 1927, 1955, 1958, 1989. The school was constructed in 1927 in the Arlington Heights area to accommodate high school students of the West Side. The picturesque school was designed by the noted local architect, Wiley G. Clarkson and erected by K. H. Muse. The design of the 3-story, H-shaped building shows characteristics of the Georgian Revival style through broken pediments, the balustrade on the center parapet, and its multiple-light windows (since replaced). Other details include cartouches, bracketed window sills and inscriptions such as “Knowledge,” “Citizenship,” and “Character” above the main entrance. Also on the grounds are stone retaining walls that might be remnants of landscaping designed by the firm of Hare and Hare of Kansas City and constructed by the Civil Works Administration, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Texas Relief Commission in 1933-34. The school became a junior high school in 1937 with the completion of the current Arlington Heights High School. To keep up with the population demand of the West Side, eight classrooms, designed by Jim D. Vowell, were added in 1955 and twelve more classrooms were added in 1958. The school was named for W. C. Stripling, founder of Stripling Department Store and contributor of funds to have the school grounds landscaped. Students of the school prepared a nomination to get the building designated as a City of Fort Worth Historical and Cultural Landmark. It was approved as such in 2002, in time for the school’s 75th anniversary. The school is receiving minor modifications under the 1999 Bond Program. It appears to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as the work of a prominent local architect and for its association with public education in Fort Worth.