NAVASOTA, Texas (KRHD) — A historic Black school in Navasota continues to serve as a cornerstone of the community decades after graduating its last class.
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The George Washington Carver School graduated its last class in 1969, but parts of the building are still in use today — by a church and as an election polling location on March 3.
The school also has a historical marker, and a small museum is located inside. The alumni association is currently making plans to do restoration work on the building.
Kathy Cave Wells of the Grimes County Historical Commission said the alumni association has kept the school going through dedication rather than deep resources.
"The alumni association takes care of the school. They do the best they can, you know, because, yeah, they don't have any real deep pockets, but they've got a lot of, a lot of love for the school," Wells said.
Navasota City Council Place 5 member James Harris said the school represents something larger about the character of the town.
"Navasota is a unique town, uh, it's where that everybody, you know, you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back, and when there's a need, everyone come together and unite together," Harris said.
For Harris, the Carver School is a symbol of resilience and progress.
"It's just history and it's a strong foundation that we can build ourselves on today. I'm just happy for our history. I mean, we've, we've had some challenges, just because of our race, and but those challenges have not kept us down. We've been, we've been moving forward and, we're gonna continue to move forward," Harris said.
Wells said the love for the school runs deep among those who walked its halls — and that its significance extends beyond Navasota.
"But there is a real love for this school here, GW Carter, George Washington Carver, by this community of people that went to school here. There's just a great amount of love for this, this school," Wells said.
Wells added that the school's history is a point of pride for the broader region.
"And so it's really exciting for a small county like Grimes County to have this much history in, in terms of schools that were, maybe not originally, but historically known as Black schools," Wells said.
The George Washington Carver School Alumni Association will host a Founder's Day Event and Dedication Ceremony from the Texas Historical Commission for a James H. Washington marker. He was a Griimes County Legislator during the 13th Legislative Session in 1873. He was also the first principal of a city school for blacks in Grimes County.
The event will be held on April 18 beginning at 1p.m. at the school, 1602 South La Salle in Navasota.
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