The Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, was the sole public education institution for the city's Hispanic students from 1909-1965. Like many states across the south, segregated education was practiced in the 19th and early 20th century. Segregation began in Marfa in 1892 following the completion of a new school for the city’s non-Hispanic students. Although there was no state law that mandated separate schools for Hispanic students, Texas school districts perpetuated the practice of de facto segregation through the mid-twentieth century. Segregated students attended the city’s original school building until 1909 when the district constructed a two-room adobe brick building on South Abbot Street. Known originally as the Ward or Mexican School, Blackwell School was later named for its longtime principal Jesse Blackwell. As the student population grew, more buildings were constructed next to the 1909 schoolhouse. Blackwell School closed in 1965 following the integration of the Marfa Independent School District. The Blackwell School is a significant local example of the period when the practice of “separate but equal” dominated education and social systems in the United States.

Source: NPS Website (2022)

Establishment Blackwell School National Historic Site — October 17, 2022

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The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

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A Conditions Assessment and Preservation Recommendations for the Historic Blackwell School (1889-1965), Marfa, TX (Jean Fulton, August 2008)

Educational Offering to Mexicans and Americans in Big-Bend Country, Texas (©William C. Jones, Master's Thesis, August 1928)

Enabling Legislation (S. 2490, 117th Congress 1st Session, )

Historic Structure Report: Blackwell School (UTSA, April 24, 2019)

National Register of Historic Places Nomination Forms

Blackwell School (Gretel Enck, March 6, 2019)

Newsletter: Foundation Document / Documentos Fundacionales (June 2024)

Strategic Plan (The Blackwell School Alliance, April 2017)

The Blackwell School: Chronology of Development & Use with Considerations for the Future (UTSA, c2017)