Masonic Home Independent School District
| Masonic Home Independent School District | |
|---|---|
| Type and location | |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Established | 1913 |
| Country |  United States |
| Location | 3600 Wichita Street, Fort Worth, TX |
| District Info | |
| Students and staff | |
| Other information | |
| Dissolved | 2005 |
| Merged into | Fort Worth ISD |
| Information | School district for orphans, of notable historical interest |
| Website | Masonic Home and School of Texas - History |
The Masonic Home and School of Texas was a home for widows and orphans in what is now Fort Worth, Texas from 1889 to 2005. The first superintendent was Dr. Frank Rainey of Austin, Texas.[1] Starting in 1913, it had its own school system, the Masonic Home Independent School District.[2][3]
The campus included buildings designed by architects Wiley G. Clarkson of Fort Worth and Herbert M. Greene of Dallas, and it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1992.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Early history
In 1889, the Masons opened a home for widows and orphans of Masons. Later, widows moved to a location in nearby Arlington (closed nearly a century later during the construction of Cowboys Stadium) and the home was opened to non-Masonic orphans. On January 10, 1913, under laws passed in 1905 allowing orphanages to organize their own schools, the Texas State Board of Education created the Masonic Home Independent School District.[2][3]
[edit] Football glory
Its 1930s football teams are the subject a 2007 book by Jim Dent, Twelve Mighty Orphans.[4] In 1995, the Masonic Home won the Class 1A State Football Championship.
[edit] Later years
The school closed in 2005 due to lack of funding. The school district merged with the Fort Worth Independent School District and the buildings and grounds were sold to a private developer.[3] The school's chapel is now a private facility known as the Bell Tower Chapel, a popular wedding location.[5]
[edit] See also
- Grand Lodge of Texas
- List of school districts in Texas
- University Interscholastic League
- F. W. Woolworth Building (Fort Worth, Texas), also by architect Wiley G. Clarkson
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Masonic Home and School of Texas Historic Marker". 1999. http://www.stoppingpoints.com/texas/sights.cgi?marker=Masonic+Home+and+School+of+Texas&cnty=tarrant. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ a b Neeley, Shirley, J.Closing of Masonic Home Independent School District, Texas Education Agency, retrieved 2008-04-10
- ^ a b c Masonic Home and School of Texas - History, retrieved 2008-04-10 Archived March 24, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dent, Jim, Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football, 2007, ISBN 0312308728. Amazon.com, books.google.com, links retrieved 2008-04-10
- ^ http://www.belltowerfortworth.com/
