Schoolhouse & Chapel -- Fort Concho, San Angelo TX - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Fort Concho was established in 1867, and protected the Texas frontier until it was deactivated in 1889. Over time, the fort was repurposed and integrated into the city of San Angelo, and filled up with unrelated and interfering buildings (including an elementary school on the parade ground). Finally in the 1960s, an concerted effort was made to preserve and protect the historic fort buildings, and eventually return the Fort to its 1870s appearance.

The Fort Concho was registered as a US National Historic Landmark in 1961. The Fort Concho National Register Historic District was created in 1985. The building is listed as a contributing building to the Fort Concho National Register Historic District in San Angelo TX.

A sign inside the School House/Chapel reads as follows:

"SCHOOLHOUSE & CHAPEL

Construction of the Schoolhouse/Chapel began in 1878, and it was occupied by February 1879. It would be the last major building erected at the post. The structure was originally designed the new officers’ quarters. Lacking enough funds to complete the living quarters, but having completed the basement and foundation for a kitchen, construction was redirected to create a much-needed school and church for the soldiers and post families. Before the completion of a proper building, classes and religious services had been conducted in almost any space available: a tent, hospital ward, the chaplain’s personal quarters, enlisted men’s mess hall and even the unlikely location of the Post Trader’s barroom. After the post was abandoned, the building served as a civilian school and then later as a home. It became part of the Fort Concho Museum in 1946, and several restoration efforts brought it to its current appearance.

Rev. George W. Dunbar
Post Chaplain USA

The Reverend George board Dunbar served as Post chaplain at Fort Concho when the Schoolhouse/Chapel was built. The former Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Janesville, Wisconsin, arrived at Fort Concho on October 21, 1876. In the summer of 1879, Reverend Dunbar suffered heat exhaustion. His illness kept him for performing his duties as chaplain, and in June 1880, he requested a leave of absence. Although he recovered, Reverend Dunbar never returned to Fort Concho. He later transferred to Fort Yates, Dakota territory. From there he served at the Presidio of San Francisco, California, and the military fort on Alcatraz Island before he retired in 1897.

FORT CONCHO CHAPLAINS
Thaddeus McFalls 1868-1869
Norman Badger 1871-1876
George Dunbar 1876-1880
Francis Weaver 1880-1882"

Group that erected the marker: Fort Concho Museum URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Fort Concho Officer's Row San Angelo, Texas United States

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Date Logged Log   12/27/2016 Benchmark Blasterz visited it