Comfort School
N 29° 58.241 W 098° 54.885
14R E 508224 N 3315539
The school campus found at this location served as the original school for the early settlers of Comfort, TX. It is found near the intersection of 3rd Street and High Street.
Waymark Code: WM170Q4
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/15/2022
Views: 4
The school campus in Comfort, TX started out as a one-room log cabin, with a dirt floor and benches along the wall. It expanded over time as Comfort grew to the school system it is today. This historical marker is close to the corner of 3rd and High Street, facing toward High Street. The official address of Comfort School is that of the Administration building: 232 High Street. The address of the High School is 327 High Street, Comfort, TX 78013, and is where the marker is located. The Middle School is found behind these building and is technically along Front Street, even though the official address is also given as 216 High Street!
This historical marker tells how the progress of the town of Comfort effected and expanded their original one-room log cabin into the modern school campus of today. There is also the restored bell tower that had been added to the school building during one of its expansion project in the early 1890s.
Marker Number: 17739
Marker Text:
Comfort was founded by a group of German immigrants in 1854. By 1856, there were enough children in the area to warrant a public school and a one-room log cabin was built on Michael Lindner’s lot no. 258 with some classes held in homes. The school had dirt floors and children sat on backless benches along the walls. Following the Civil War, the Comfort Schulverein (Comfort School Association) was established to oversee education in the area. In 1866, a second building was erected on the west end of Comfort Park. Mr. Carl Herbst taught continuously from 1866 to 1887, and Mr. Fritz Fischer served from 1870 to 1881 and again from 1887 to 1895. Both men received training from universities in Germany and brought success to the Comfort school. Enrollment increased and soon the need for a larger school was evident.
Between 1892 and 1893, the first permanent schoolhouse was built at the corner of 3rd and High streets. The three-room limestone building was constructed by Christian Lindemann and included a bell tower. The adjoining lots served as a playground for the school children. Around this time, the influx of non-German settlers created a need for language and curriculum changes. In 1904, a fourth classroom and hallway were added and, in 1922, a second story was constructed for the expanding school district. When major repairs were made to the roof in 1974, the eighty-year-old bell was removed. A replica was constructed in 1987 and is housed on the school grounds. This historic structure is a testament to the enduring service of Comfort’s first permanent school.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2013
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