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On
July 22, 1855, two acres of land along Grape Creek was purchased from
Peter Pehl for $4. After the land was acquired, the men in the community
gathered to build a 16' by 15' log cabin schoolhouse. Due to an increase
in the student population by 1881, the building had become too small to
accommodate all the children so a 10' addition of native limestone was
built. The Luckenbach School was designated as District #3. Families who
settled in the community paid one dollar per year for their children to
attend school. Many of these families are still represented in the area
today.
During the 1860's,
a one-room stone teacherage was built. The floors were made of 16 inch
wide planks from Indianola and the rafters were hand-hewn. Another room
was added later to join the teacher's house to the school. In 1905, a
new 25' x 34' schoolhouse was built of native limestone from the Pehl
property, some of them measuring 22 inches by 54 inches. An old-fashioned
school bell summoned the children to class with the boys lining up on
the left and the girls on the right. Older students would help the younger
ones with grammar and math. Some of the creative games played during recess
were Andy-over, stink base, dodge ball, drop the hankie, and kick the
can.
In 1949, due
to the passage of the Gilmer-Aiken Law, which limited the number of students
per teacher, Luckenbach became a two-teacher school with grades one through
eight. During that year, another room, measuring 18' x 24' and constructed
of hollow tile, was added to the school building.
In 1964, the
Luckenbach School District was consolidated with the Fredericksburg School
District. The Luckenbach Community Club was organized and currently hosts
bimonthly pinochle parties, picnics, and family reunions. The building
is also a site for precinct voting for state and federal elections. In
1982, a Texas Historical Commission marker was dedicated.
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