On January 23, 2006 the Gillespie County Commissioners Court established the Gillespie County Country Schools Trail linking 16 former historic country schools and the Vereinskirche, the replica of the first school in Gillespie County on Market Square in Fredericksburg. This "schools" trail is a first in Texas and possibly in the nation.

The Friends of Gillespie County Country Schools in cooperation with the Gillespie County Historical Society, the LBJ National and State Park, the Cherry Mountain Community Club and the Grapetown Community Club are sponsoring the trail and the various activities throughout the year. The intent of the trail is to document the history of public education in the county and to document the more than 40 school districts which existed - several which have been forgotten. The goal, once enough funds have been raised, is to have a permanent display at Market Square in Fredericksburg, documenting the districts and the remaining buildings for visitors to enjoy.

The "schools trail" allows visitors to Gillespie County to learn about education and customs in the German Hill country of the 19th century, explore different architectural styles and see the beautiful landscape of the area, especially during wildflower time. The approximate 120 miles of trail have been broken down into color-coded routes directing the visitor to schools in a particular quadrant of the county. Visitors will be able to spend from two hours to half a day exploring this element of Gillespie County history.

Links to the 16 schools are listed on the left. White Oak School, which is located in the Pioneer Museum, is open daily. During the annual Historic Schools Tour held on the first weekend in April the Friends will have several of the schools open to the public. All schools are now used as community centers and can be rented by the public for social activities.

Color-coded maps (see below) depicting the routes are available at the Fredericksburg Visitor's Center at 302 E Austin Street, Fredericksburg, at the Up-Town Visitor Center, E Main St, The Vereinskirche and each school.

Historic information about each school and tidbits of information about such customs as school closings, early transportation, school lunches and discipline, outhouses, wells and teacher salaries are available to the visitor.

Gillespie County Schools Driving Map

Driving Directions

History of Education in Gillespie County

School Districts in Gillespie County
taken from the 1892 "school district" map

**Thirteen of the historic schools are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and according to Bob Brinkman, at the the Texas Historical Commission, Gillespie County has more rural schools listed than any other county in Texas.

As many as 44 rural schools were in operation around Fredericksburg, the county seat of Gillespie County, in the early 20th century. German immigrants had poured into the area that became known as the Texas Hill Country in the mid to late 1800's, starting with the settlement of New Braunfels in 1845 and Fredericksburg in 1846.

These Germans brought with them a keen love of education. The first school in Fredericksburg was erected in the Marktplatz (Market Square) in the center of Main Street in 1847. This Vereinskirche (Church of the Society (of Nobles)) was to serve as church, school, community meeting hall and fort, if needed. Comanche Indians roamed the area, and the Germans had reached the frontier of Texas before the US Army.

As families moved onto to land more distant from town, the earliest rural educational efforts normally involved hiring a teacher to educate the children in private homes. Eventually land was donated by a family in the area and a community school was built --- taking names descriptive of nearby natural landmarks such as Cave Creek, Crabapple, Pecan Creek or Lower South Grape Creek. The German heritage of Gillespie County is evident in other names like Luckenbach, Meusebach, Rheingold and Nebgen.

Several of the 12 schools now listed on the National Register date from the 1870's and 1880's. The original Rheingold School is the oldest of the rural schools in Gillespie County.

Many of the Gillespie County rural schools offered courses in both in German and English. The end of the school year was celebrated with an all-day affair called the Schulprüfung (school examination). The students demonstrated their knowledge in front of family and friends, followed by a picnic and dancing into the night. The original school closing curtain is still on display in four of the schools, with advertisements for early-day Gillespie County merchants. Three of the schools still have the original student desks and teacher's desk.

The End of the Rural Schools Era

The Gilmer-Aikin Law of 1949 resulted in the consolidation of most rural schools in Texas, bringing a close to this era of public education.

Some of the schools eventually were adapted as private residences, while two became interpretive pieces. The White Oak School was moved to the Pioneer Museum Complex at 309 West Main Street in Fredericksburg and offers a glimpse on a daily basis of the inside of one of the rural schools complete with desks and the teacher's bell. Admission to the museum is charged.

The one-room Junction School, located in the LBJ National Historical Park at Stonewall, is part of the National Park Service interpretive tram tour and was first attended by President Lyndon Baines Johnson at age four. You can participate in an LBJ Park Tour (there is a fee) for the tour or drive directly to the school house.

In the 1950's, community clubs were organized and maintained some of the rural school properties in Gillespie County using their own funds, even thought they were owned by the Fredericksburg Independent School District (FISD). With a strong sense of community in the rural areas of Gillespie County still today, 14 of the schools continue to be used as community centers, social gathering halls, and polling places. These fourteen schools can be rented by the public for social activities.