Burke School

Burke's community history page says the school began shortly after the town was established on August 1, 1885, by order of County Judge J. T. Maroney. Arthur Arrington, Berry T. McCarty and S. J. Havard applied for it as Bradley Prairie School Community No. 10 at Burke Station. Burke was a one-year high school in 1917, a three-year one in 1919 and a two-year one in 1930. Later reduced to eight grades, its students went on to Diboll High School without tuition, while northern students often paid tuition at Lufkin. It had 88 pupils in 1960.

What the plaque says

Burke School The community of Burke was established along the Houston, East and West Texas Railroad in 1882. S. J. and Nancy Arrington conveyed one acre of land adjoining the town on which to establish a public school. The first building, a one-room structure, was enlarged to three rooms within a few years. The 1887 enrollment was about fifty students. Voters approved a bond in 1910 to erect a brick schoolhouse for grades 1 through 7. For many years, Burke was an independent district. The brick edifice was torn down in 1935 and replaced with a larger schoolhouse built with Works Progress Administration funds. After the Burke Independent School District was consolidated with the Diboll schools in 1964, the Burke schoolhouse remained in service to the community as a senior citizens center and polling place. (1999)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Burke Methodist Church — 0.3 mi
• Ryan Chapel — 1.4 mi
• Hoshall — 2.8 mi
• Diboll — 3.2 mi