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Texas Historical Commission staff (CTS), 7/28/2006, revised 8/23/2006
27" x 42" Official Texas Historical Marker with post
Aransas County (Job #17906) Subject EB (Atlas 13653 UTM14 691485E 3101960
Location: Rockport, 619 N Live Oak St
ROCKPORT SCHOOL
ROCKPORT SCHOOL HAS SERVED THE TOWN OF ROCKPORT FOR MANY YEARS
AS BOTH AN EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTION. IT DATES TO 1935,
DURING THE ERA OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION. ONE OF PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D.
ROOSEVELT'S NEW DEAL PROGRAMS TO COMBAT THE DEPRESSION WAS THE
FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS, LATER THE PUBLIC
WORKS ADMINISTRATION (PWA), PART OF THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL
RECOVERY ACT. WORKERS COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION ON THE ROCKPORT
SCHOOL, LABELED PROJECT NUMBER 2813, UNDER THE PWA, AND LOCAL
BONDS HELPED TO SUBSIDIZE THE GOVERNMENT PROJECT.
THE DISTRICT HAD THE STRUCTURE BUILT ON THE SITE OF AN EARLIER
ROCKPORT SCHOOL, A WOODEN STRUCTURE DATING TO 1892. WHEN THE NEW
SCHOOL OPENED, IT HOUSED ELEVEN GRADES BEFORE ADDING THE TWELTH A
FEW YEARS LATER FOR FULL ACCREDITATION.
ROCKPORT SCHOOL SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS WHILE
UNDERGOING SEVERAL CHANGES. AFTER WORLD WAR II, A FORMER ARMY AIR
FORCES BUILDING PROVIDED SPACE FOR A GYMNASIUM AND CLASSROOM
ADDITION UTILIZED UNTIL THE LATE 1950s. AFTER CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW
HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CITY IN 1953, DISTRICT OFFICIALS CONVERTED THIS
BUILDING INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND RENAMED IT ROCKPORT
ELEMENTARY. IN 2005, AFTER THE SCHOOL CLOSED, IT BECAME A COMMUNITY
CENTER.
THIS ZIGZAG MODERNE BUILDING FEATURES A DRAMATIC STYLIZED
SUNBURST OVER THE ENTRYWAY. OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE A RUNNING
COURSE OF BRICKWORK DETAILING AND SYMMETRICAL, REGULAR MASSING.
RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK - 2006