Photograph of the front and south side of the Reagan School located at 400 S. Michaux in Palestine, Texas. The three-story brick building has Tudor Revival-style architectural features and served as a school for various grades between 1916 and 1976, later becoming a museum.
Located in Anderson County, the Palestine Public Library provides access to information and various programs for the community's benefit. They received a Rescuing Texas History grant to aid in digitization of select materials, including photos taken during a Historic Resources Study in 1991.
Photograph of the front and south side of the Reagan School located at 400 S. Michaux in Palestine, Texas. The three-story brick building has Tudor Revival-style architectural features and served as a school for various grades between 1916 and 1976, later becoming a museum.
Physical Description
1 photograph : positive, col. ; 35 mm.
Notes
Photograph of the 400 Block S. Michaux taken from the road. Photo was taken for the Historic Resources Survey of Palestine, Texas 1989-1991. The old Reagan School is a premier example of Tudor Revival style and is among the city’s most outstanding architectural landmarks. In July 1915 Palestinians voted for a $100,000 bond issue to cover construction costs for this building, which replaced an earlier high school in the city’s business district. Prominent Fort Worth architects Marshall R. Sanguinet and Carl Gordon Staats designed the building, while A.W. Flynt, also of Fort Worth, served as general contractor. Completed in the spring of 1916, the new school was designed for an enrollment of 300 students. From 1939 through 1966 the building served as the city’s junior high school. It was officially renamed the John H. Reagan Junior High School in 1955. From 1966 until 1976 the building housed elementary grades. After that time it was abandoned and stood vacant for several years. In 1981 a local preservation group rehabilitated the school and converted it into a museum. It remains the “Museum for East Texas Culture” today.
Taken from: Historic Resources Survey of Palestine, Texas: An Inventory for The City of Palestine, Volume IV, Color Slides, June 1991
This photograph is part of the following collection of related materials.
Rescuing Texas History, 2006
Rescuing Texas History is a project that aims to digitize at-risk photographs, maps, artwork, and more. Funding was provided by the Summerlee Foundation of Dallas.