In the mid-1800s, area African-American children attended school in nearby Longstreet. The first school in Richards began in St. Thomas Methodist Episcopal Church circa 1913. School moved to the Masonic Lodge Hall before a two-story schoolhouse with auditorium was built near the railroad tracks. Basketball was the primary sporting activity, and county fairs featured competition in agriculture, poetry recital and spelling bees. Fire destroyed three separate schoolhouses from 1920 to 1937. In the 1930s, Richards Colored School absorbed schools from Longstreet and Pineywoods. A new school was built in 1938 and renamed in 1962 for longtime principal, teacher and coach W. E. Hall. It closed in 1966 when schools in Richards integrated. 175 years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011
Richards Colored School
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Richards Colored School is a historical marker in Richards, Grimes County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 73 historical markers documented in Grimes County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 213 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 30.5426, -95.8413 near Richards. The nearest cataloged historic site is Oliver (cemetery), about 0.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Hurry, James and Missouri, House, Hill Family Graves, and Fairview.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016846. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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