Site of Bunjes School

On June 25, 1886, H.J. Strunk, a resident of Colorado County, Texas, sold five acres of land for use as a school and cemetery to the Shinerville School community, originally named for area landowner H.B. Shiner. Residents funded, built and staffed the new schoolhouse, shipping lumber in from Flatonia (20 mi. NW) and assisting in carpentry work. They soon renamed it Shiner School No. 2 to avoid confusion with the city school in nearby Shiner. A later name change honored trustee Ferdinand Bunjes, who had led a bucket brigade that saved the building when the roof caught fire. The school initially offered classes up to grade six but added more grades over the years. Patrons built a teacherage for William Fertsch and his wife, and in 1895 the community added an acre of land, as well as a road that helped students access the school. In the early years, attendance was irregular. In 1916, the State of Texas mandated a six-month school year, but absenteeism for agricultural work remained common among farm families. Otto Fisseler taught at the school from 1912 to 1919, when he was replaced by Charles Chovanetz, who taught with his wife, Martha, until 1951. During their tenure, in 1933, a fire destroyed the teacherage. The district recovered from the loss and also constructed a new schoolhouse in 1937. The Great Depression, World War II, and educational reform eventually resulted in the consolidation of such rural school districts in Texas, and in 1951 Bunjes School District No. 20 merged with Shiner Independent School District. The schoolhouse later became a residence, but the history of Bunjes School remains a reflection of the community's early education efforts. (2005)

Site of Bunjes School is a historical marker in Shiner, Lavaca County, dedicated in 2005. It is one of 96 historical markers documented in Lavaca County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 174 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.4437, -97.1469 near Shiner. The nearest cataloged historic site is Kaspar Wire Works (historical marker), about 1.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Spoetzl Brewery, First Methodist Church of Shiner, and Sarah Creath McSherry Hibbens Stinnett Howard.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5285013115. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.