Rincon School

Not to be confused with Rincon High School in Tucson, Arizona.

Rincon School
Riverside School (1890–1904),
Frederick Douglass School (1904–1933)
Brackenridge Colored School
Historical marker near downtown San Antonio, Texas
Location204 Augusta Street,
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas,
United States
Coordinates29°25′48″N 98°29′33″W / 29.429961°N 98.492498°W / 29.429961; -98.492498
Foundedc. late 1860s–1933
Designated1989
Reference no.4269

The Rincon School, also known as the Frederick Douglass School (late 1860s–1933) was the first public school for African American students in San Antonio, Texas, United States. The school was founded on Rincon Street (now St. Mary's Street) as a private school, in 1871 it became a public school, and moved in 1915 to what is now 318 Martin Luther King Drive. It has a historical marker was erected 2010 by Texas Historical Commission (no. 4269) at 204 Augusta Street near the San Antonio River Walk.[1] It was also called the Rincon Street Public Colored School, the Brackenridge Colored School,[2] and Frederick Douglass Colored High School.[3]

History

Historical marker
Historical marker

The Rincon School opened in the late 1860s as a two-story stone building on Rincon Street (now St. Mary's Street) near the San Antonio River Walk, and was operated by the Freedmen's Bureau.[1][4] It was the first public high school for African American students in the city.[3] The site had been a former Confederate States Army tanner and sawmill, and was purchased in 1868 by the Freedmen's Bureau.[4] In 1871, the city assumed operation of the school, in what is now the San Antonio Independent School District.[2]

The Rincon School taught children in the daytime (at the elementary school level), and adults at nighttime, and they quickly outgrew the building.[4] By 1888, the school was renting additional space at the St. James AME Church.[4]

In 1889, philanthropist George Washington Brackenridge donated money to expand the curriculum at the Rincon School and they began to offer vocational high school courses.[5][3][4] In 1915, the school moved to a larger school building on the Eastside of San Antonio,[3] at 318 Martin Luther King Drive in a building designed by Leo Dielmann.

Closure and later building usage

The Rincon School remained a high school until June 1933, and afterwards the campus at 318 Martin Luther King Drive became Douglass Academy, a middle school active until 1970.[2] In 1954, schools in San Antonio began the process of desegregation after court order.[6] The former campus at 318 Martin Luther King Drive, was converted into a non-segregated elementary school for grades 3-5, now called Frederick Douglass Elementary School.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Site of Rincon/Douglass School Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Kresha, Raymond (2008). "A History of Douglass Academy" (PDF). San Antonio ISD. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Martinez, Sarah (February 27, 2023). "San Antonio ISD was at the forefront of desegregation in the south". MySanAntonio.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e Salas, Mario (July 17, 2024). "Rincon School: 1st Public School For Blacks in San Antonio". San Antonio Observer. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  5. ^ Williams, Jerelyn Castleberry (2006). "Looking for Literacy Ownership in All the Right Places". The Brackenridge Colored School: A Legacy of Empowerment through Agency and Cultural Capital Inside An African American Community. Authorhouse. pp. 41–62. ISBN 978-1-4259-4195-6.
  6. ^ "No Racial Incidents Reported Since San Antonio Integration". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 1, 1956. p. 4. Retrieved August 8, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Frederick Douglass School". Historical Marker Database (HMDB).
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