For over 100 years, the Harris County Public Library (HCPL) has partnered with more than 80 schools and educational centers to provide books and other resources to the children of Harris County. This collection highlights those partnerships, offering insight into the vital role that literacy and collaboration play in HCPL’s mission.

When HCPL was founded in 1921, many of its first locations were within schools. At the time, schools served as central gathering places for communities, making them ideal sites for library stations. By placing libraries in schools, HCPL helped expand access to educational materials for children and their families, often in areas where few other resources existed.

The schools featured in this collection reflect the rich complexity and diversity of Harris County itself. Several were segregated institutions serving Black or Hispanic children during the Jim Crow era. Many served small or rural communities, where historical documentation is limited and much has been lost over time. Over the decades, most of these schools were closed, consolidated, or absorbed into growing school districts as the City of Houston rapidly expanded - particularly from the 1920s through the 1960s. By the end of the 1930s, many original HCPL school library stations had been shuttered as those neighborhoods became part of Houston.

Importantly, these early school libraries functioned not only as educational resources for students but as community libraries as well, offering crucial access to books and information for all residents in the area.

This collection continues to grow as HCPL expands its partnerships with local school districts to provide access to both physical and digital resources. Our mission is to enrich lives and strengthen communities, and our work with schools—past and present—is a key part of achieving this goal.

List of All Harris County Area School Partners

A

Addicks School

In operation: 1948 - 1958

 

Addicks School was added to the HCPL bookmobile route in 1949, to provide books to students and the wider community.  The stop was dropped from the service route in the late 1950s. 

 

Aldine School 

In operation: 1921 - 1943

 

Aldine businessman I.H. Mowery was one of the community leaders who circulated the petition to establish a library system for Harris County.  Mowery ensured that many Aldine area schools received a book collection when the library system began in June 1921.  

The Aldine School was a Harris County Public Library station from 1921 to 1943.  The school's collection was occasionally removed when too many books were lost; however, within a semester, the students would return their books so that the school could receive a new collection.  In 1936, when the Library was gifted three Victrola phonographs, the Aldine School received one of them.  The Victrolas were used to listen to "fine music" and help with music study. The collection was permanently removed from the school in 1943, and the community was put on the bookmobile route until the early 1950s.  

 

Assumption Catholic School

In operation: 1950? - 1952?

 

The Assumption Catholic School was a bookmobile stop during the early 1950s. 

 

B

Bayland Home for Boys

In operation: 1926 - 1940 


The library station in Bayland Home for boys opened in 1926. In 1936, the Home consolidated with the Harris County School for Boys and moved to southeastern Harris County, near Webster, Texas. Service continued until April 1940, when a new custodian for the collection could not be found. The superintendent also felt that the boys could obtain their books from the Webster School, where they study, which would increase their contact with children and adults outside of the orphanage. As of 2021, this facility is known as Youth Village, a Juvenile Probation Department site.

 

Baytown (various schools)

In operation: 1924 - 1946

 

The library station in the Baytown community opened in 1924. In 1928, it was one of the top five stations in terms of yearly circulation. Several of the schools in Baytown had small collections (including Elementary, Junior, San Jacinto, and Wooster), but the circulation totals for these schools were typically rolled into Baytown’s total circulation. In a 1931 article, Baytown had the fourth-highest circulation during the last year, with 1,148 books. Around 1946, the station was merged with the Goose Creek branch.

 

Baytown Mexican School

In operation: 1926 - 1947

 

The library station in the Baytown Mexican School opened in 1926. The segregated school served Mexican American children in the Goose Creek community. The school's name changed in 1938 to De Zavala Elementary School in honor of Lorenzo De Zavala, the Interim Vice President of Texas in 1836. The station remained open until 1947. Read a historical profile of the Baytown Mexican School at the Texas Christian University, Mary Couts Burnett Library

 

Berry School

In operation: 1921 - 1940

 

The New Berry School opened in 1910.  The school was built as a memorial to James Berry by Berry's sons James and Frank Lee Berry.  A library station at the school was opened in 1921, during the HCPL's first year of operation. During the summer of 1928, the book wagon visited Berry School to continue providing the children with access to books during the school break. The branch had consistently high circulation, with 4,602 books checked out in 1932 and 6,542 books checked out in 1933. The station in the school was closed in 1937 after the debut of the Bookmobile, but the school was placed on the Bookmobile's routeThe 1939 annual report notes: "The fifth grade students at Berry School made fist puppets from suggestions found in books they had borrowed from the Bookmobile...[They] created dialogue for the play from the stories they had read. These original adaptations were presented for the P.T.A. and one performance was given for the Bookmobile assistants." Service to the school ended after 1940.

 

The Berry Elementary School was still open as of 2025.

 

Betsy Ross School

In operation: 1923 - 1936

 

The library station in the Betsy Ross School opened in 1923 and served both the school children and the community in Dudley. The station in the school was closed in 1936 and replaced with a bookmobile stop for the Dudley community. 

 

Big Cypress School

In operation: 1921 - 1934

 

A library station was opened at Big Cypress School in 1926. While the collection was small, in 1931 the Houston Press noted that the average book at the branch was read more than twice, making it one of the stations with the best circulation. The station closed in 1934 when the school consolidated with the Brink and Fuchs schools. A library station was opened at the new Cypress School.

 

Brink School

In operation: 1921 - 1934

 

A library station was opened at the Brink School in 1921.  The school was consolidated with two other schools, Big Cypress and Fuchs, in September 1934 and became the Cypress School, which continued to have a library station.

 

Brubaker School

In operation: 1926 - 1933

 

A library station opened at the Burbank School in 1927. The station was closed on May 30, 1929, when the school was annexed to the city of Houston. A new station was placed in the community again in December 1945; references to the station end after 1946.

 

 

Burbank School

In operation: 1927 - 1929 and December 1945 - 1946

 

A library station opened at the Burbank School in 1927. The station was closed on May 30, 1929, when the school was annexed to the city of Houston. A new station was placed in the community again in December 1945; references to the station end after 1946.

 

C

Channelview School

In operation: 1933 - 1941 and 1948 - 1951

 

The library station in the Channelview School opened in 1933. The station was closed in the summer when school was out and the community lost access to the collection. Eventually, the collection was moved into the four-room log home of Alice Donaho. The station closed in 1941. The community was served through a bookmobile stop from 1948 to 1951.

 

Charles Eliot School

In operation: 1924 - 1930

 

The library station in the Charles Eliot School opened in 1927. The station in the school was closed in 1930, as the city of Houston annexed the school district. Before 1927, the community was served by a station located at an unspecified site in "Houston Harbor," now better known as Denver Harbor.  As of 2021, the school is known as Charles W. Eliot Elementary School.  

 

Clawson School

In operation: November 1928 - October 1934

 

A library station was opened at Clawson School in November 1928. The school closed permanently in October 1934, and the students were sent to the Crosby and Highlands schools.

 

Clinton School

In operation: 1921 - March 1938

 

The Clinton School was one of the first schools to have a book station with the Harris County Public Library.  The school was first referenced in the 1922 annual report, and the 1923 annual report noted that more than 3,100 books circulated at the school. In the summer of 1924, the school was remodeled, and a special library room was added to the building.  

During the first half of the decade, students regularly checked out more than 3,000 items each year.  In 1925, the station had the 7th highest circulation in the entire HCPL system. By the end of the 1920s, the school had an average of more than 4,000 books circulating each year. Circulation continued to grow, with 7,368 books checked out in 1932.

A request for a post office in Clinton was denied around 1935 because another Clinton, Texas, was already registered.  Community leaders changed the town's name to Galena Park in honor of the Galena Signal Oil Company of Texas, the first oil company built in the town.  The library reports continued to use the name Clinton for the next few years. 

HCPL closed the station in March 1938 and put the school and community on the new bookmobile route.  

 

Crosby Barrett Colored School

In operation: 1941-1948

 

A library station at the Crosby Barrett Colored School opened in 1941. The segregated school served Black students in the Crosby community. The station remained open until 1948.

 

Crosby Friendship Colored School

In operation: 1945 - September 1947

 

A library station at the Crosby Friendship Colored School opened in 1945. The segregated school served Black students in the Crosby community. The Friendship school was combined with the Crosby Barrett Colored School in September 1947.

 

Cypress School

In operation: September 1934 - 1951

 

In 1934, the Big Cypress, Brink, and Fuchs schools were consolidated, and in September of that year, the new Cypress School opened. All three schools had previously had library stations, so a new library station was installed at Cypress School to continue supporting the students. In 1937, the school transitioned to bookmobile service for the 1937-1938 school year. Service was discontinued in the fall of 1938, as the principal wanted a library station or nothing at all, and the library had a book shortage that prevented them from placing a collection in the school at that time. By 1939, a small collection of books had been gathered, and a library station was reopened at the school, which remained open until the early 1950s.

 

D

Deepwater Mexican School

In operation: 1927 - May 1943

 

The library station in the Deepwater Mexican School opened in 1927. Deepwater was a small community situated between Pasadena and Deer Park, near the Houston Ship Channel. The segregated school served Mexican American students in the community. The station had a regular circulation of 200-400 books per year, with a record high of 835 books checked out in 1937.  Like most school libraries, it was closed during the summer months, when there would be no teacher available to monitor the book collection.  
The station was closed in May 1943, at the end of the school year, as the school lost the necessary funding for a dedicated on-site librarian.  From the 1943 HCPL Annual Report: "The WPA Library Project was discontinued in January 1943. Many schools had depended on this project for their librarians. After the project was discontinued it made it difficult for some of the schools to continue with an effective library program. It was not practical for this library to continue large scale library service to schools that could not provide adequate supervision of the books." 
 

Durkee School

In operation: 1926 - June 1, 1927

 

The library station in the Durkee School opened in 1926. The station in the school was closed on June 1, 1927, after consolidating with another school in the same district. 

 

E

East Houston School

In operation: 1927 - 1937

 

The library station in the East Houston School opened in 1927. The school changed its name to Smiley School in 1936.  The station in the school was closed in 1937 after the debut of the Bookmobile. 

 

See also: Smiley School

 

F

Fairbanks Colored School

In operation: 1923 - 1942

 

 In 1925 a local German dairy farmer donated a farmhouse building  to the Independence Gardens community to serve as a dedicated schoolhouse, which was named the Fairbanks Colored School. In 1926, students checked out 164 books.  The Harris County Librarian withdrew the collection in 1927 due to “unsettled community conditions” but reinstated it in January 1928.  Clara Scott started teaching at the school in 1928. She would go on to serve as the school’s sole teacher until 1951. The library was again withdrawn in 1933 but was returned in February 1934 upon Scott’s request to the County Librarian.  The closure was due in part to the school's irregular schedule.  The 1935 annual report noted that the library collection was available “only during the school term, which is short [November to March] because the pupils have to work in the fields." The school had a record circulation of 1,108 in 1940. The collection was again withdrawn in 1942. The school was renamed Fairbanks Elementary, and later Carverdale School, before closing in 1970 as part of a federal mandate to desegregate the school district.  

 

See also: Independence Colored School

 

Fuchs School

In operation: 1921 - 1934

 

A library station opened in the Fuchs School in 1921. The school had a steady circulation of more than 500 books a year through the 1920s, peaking around the end of the decade, with over 900 books checked out each year.  Circulation began to drop again in the 1930s.  The station closed in 1934 when the school consolidated with the Brink and Big Cypress schools. A library station was opened at the new Cypress School.

 

G

Geona School

In operation: 1946 - 1951

 

The Genoa School had a library station in 1946. The segregated school served Mexican American children in the Pasadena community. By the end of the 1940s, the station had closed and the school was on the bookmobile service instead. The stop was discontinued just a few years later. 

 

George Washington Carver High School (Baytown)

In operation: 1946-1948

 

Starting in 1928, a library station operated at the Goose Creek Colored School (also referred to as Newton Colored School in HCPL reports). The segregated school served Black students in the Goose Creek community. The school was renamed in 1941 to George Washington Carver High School (not to be confused with the George Washington Carver High School in Houston). Harris County installed a collection at the school in 1946. That year, 569 books were checked out. The library operated until 1948, when the high school moved to a new site, and the building was converted back into an elementary school. 

 

See also: Goose Creek Colored School

 

Georgia School

In operation: 1928 - 1933

 

The library station in Georgia School opened in 1928. Service continued until the school was consolidated with Hockey in 1932. A portion of the collection remained in the old building until 1933 when the books were finally removed and returned to the Central Office.

 

Golden Acres School

In operation: 1949 - 1952

 

The Golden Acres School in Pasadena was added to the Bookmobile service in 1949 and continued to receive service until the early 1950s.

 

Goose Creek Ashebl School

In operation: 1940 - 1946

 

The library station in the Goose Creek Ashbel School operated from 1940 to 1946. Before 1940, a small collection was housed at the school, but its circulation numbers were often combined with those of the Goose Creek branch for ease of reporting in the annual reports. As of 2021, the school is known as Ashbel Smith Elementary. 

 

Goose Creek Colored School

In operation: 1928-1941

 

Harris County opened a library station at the school in February 1928 (written in early reports as Newton or Newtown Colored School). During the library's first year, students checked out 284 booksCirculation rose steadily over the next few years, with 1,400 books checked out in 1932. In 1935, HCPL hosted a tour for the County Judge and Commissioners, with a luncheon at the main Goose Creek branch. Students from the school sang to the guests. Circulation began to drop again during the second half of the 1930s. By 1940, it had dropped to 876 checkouts. The school was renamed in June 1940 to George Washington Carver School (not to be confused with the George Washington Carver High School in Houston).  The name change heralded a larger change in the school, as by the following summer, it became an accredited four-year high school. With service to grades 1-8 ending in May 1941, the library closed its station in the school. Children checked out 364 books in the months leading up to the closure.   

 

See also: George Washington Carver High School (Baytown)

 

Goose Creek High School

In operation: 1925

 

A library station in the Goose Creek High School opened briefly in 1925.

 

H

Harrell School

In operation: 1927 - May 1944

 

The library station in the Harrell School opened in 1927 and operated until 1939. The bookmobile service supplied the community with books from 1940 until 1943 when a collection was again placed in the school. At the end of the 1943-1944 school year, the collection was removed again and the station permanently closed.

Harris County School for Boys

In operation: 1923 - 1935

 

A library station opened at the Harris County School for Boys in 1923. In 1926, the station closed during the construction of the new Boy's Home, but it reopened in 1927. In 1935, the School merged with the Bayland Home for Boys and was relocated to the Seabrook area. 

Harris County School for Girls

In operation: 1921 - 1946

 

 A library station opened at the Harris County School for Girls in 1921 and was one of the original 26 locations. In May 1941, the station was closed, and the School was put on the bookmobile service, which continued through the end of World War II. Later known as the Mary Burnett School for Girls, service was resumed briefly a few years later.

 

See also: Mary Burnett School for Girls

 

Harrisburg School

In operation: June 1921 - January 1, 1928

 

The library station in Harrisburg School opened in June 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The station opened in a borrowed space at the school with a borrowed bookcase, table, chair, and a hundred books. By April 15, 1922, the circulation at Harrisburg is “700 times as great as it was during the first months of its existence…it is thought that the Harrisburg branch is the best of its kind in Texas.” In 1923, a special library room opened, and the school board approved a salary for a part-time librarian. Circulation in 1923 was 14,872, and the library started offering reference service. The circulation in 1924 was 15,203. From 1921 to 1925, the Harrisburg School had the highest circulation at the end of each year. 1926 was the first year that Goose Creek (Newton) had a higher circulation than Harrisburg. That station closed on January 1, 1928, when the community was annexed to the city of Houston. In the 1928 annual report, County Librarian Ruth Underwood notes that total system circulation decreased by 251 in 1928, which she attributes in part to the annexation of the Harrisburg, Milby, and Park Place communities at the beginning of 1928; all three were libraries in large communities with high circulation. 

 

Hart School

In operation: 1923 - 1924

 

A library station at the Hart School opened in 1923. The segregated school served Black students. The station was discontinued when the teacher was transferred in 1924. There were a total of 104 circulations at the school during 1924. 

 

Hartwell High School

In operation: 1921 - 1933

 

The library station in the Hartwell High School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The station in the school was closed in 1933.

 

Hegan School (Kickapoo)

In operation: 1926 - 1932

 

The library station in the Hegar School opened in 1926 and operated until September 1932, when the school consolidated with Waller School. This station is primarily referred to by the name of the community, Kickapoo, in the annual reports.

 

Higgs School

In operation: 1921 - 1933

 

The library station in the Higgs School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. In 1933 the school was consolidated with other primary schools in the Harris County Common School District 2, which included Aldine, Brubaker, and Westfield.

 

Hockley Colored School

In operation: November 1929 - 1930

 

A library station at the Hockley Colored School opened in the last week of November 1929. The segregated school served Black students in the Hockley community. The station closed in 1930.

 

Hockley School

In operation: 1921 - June 1942

 

The library station in the Hockley School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The Georgia School consolidated with Hockley in 1932. The school's station was closed in 1937 and was put on the bookmobile route instead. However, by September 1938, the bookmobile stop was cancelled due to the distance of the community and the small number of borrowers. A small collection of books was returned to the school. The school station closed at the end of the 1941-1942 school year. 

 

Hohl School

In operation: 1930 - 1933 and 1939 - 1940

 

 The library station in the Hohl School opened in 1930 but closed in 1933 because the county had no books available to place in the school after the summer break. The school was provided Bookmobile service from the fall of 1939 to 1946. 

 

Humble Colored School

In operation: 1925 - 1942

 

A library station at the Humble Colored School opened in 1945. The segregated school served Black students in the Humble community. In the annual report from 1925, the County Librarian notes: “This is the largest and best developed colored school we have visited, and we plan to take them books in the early part of 1926.” The station remained open until 1942.

 

I

Independence Colored School

In operation: 1923 - 1942

 

In 1923, just a couple of years after the founding of the Harris County Public Library system, a small collection of books was placed in a private home in the Independence Gardens community. Located a few miles west of the Fairbanks Branch Library, it was the first HCPL station opened in a Black community in Harris County. The books were for residents as well as children at the Independence Colored School. In 1925, the books moved into the new Fairbanks Colored School, which opened thanks to a local German dairy farmer's donation of a farmhouse building. In 1926, students checked out 164 books.  The Harris County Librarian withdrew the collection in 1927 due to “unsettled community conditions,” but reinstated it in January 1928.  

Clara Scott started teaching at the school in 1928. She would go on to serve as the school’s sole teacher until 1951. The library was again withdrawn in 1933, but was returned in February 1934 upon Scott’s request to the County Librarian.  The closure was due in part to the school's irregular schedule.  The 1935 annual report noted that the library collection was available “only during the school term, which is short [November to March] because the pupils have to work in the fields." The school had a record circulation of 1,108 in 1940. The collection was again withdrawn in 1942. The school was renamed Fairbanks Elementary, and later Carverdale School, before closing in 1970 as part of a federal mandate to desegregate the school district.  

 

See also: Fairbanks Colored School

J

John Smith School

In operation: 1921 - 1924

 

The library station in the John Smith School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. A newspaper article from 1924 notes that “out at Post Oak, at Borzillo’s store, and around John Smith School on Westheimer Road, the population is mostly foreign, Italian truck farms and their families predominating, with a few scattered people of German and Polish extraction.” The station in the school was closed in 1924.

K

Katy Colored School

In operation: 1941 - 1946

 

A library station at the Katy Colored School opened in 1941. The segregated school served Black students in the Katy community. The station remained open until 1946. 

 

Katy School

In operation: 1937 - June 1940

 

In 1937, the Katy library station was closed, and the community was placed on the bookmobile service. However, a supplementary collection remained at the Katy School, which then became a library station. By 1939, the Katy community had a new library station, but the school station remained open to serve students through the 1939-1940 school year. The station closed for good in June 1940.

 

Klein School

In operation: 1938 - 1946 and 1951 - 1952

 

The library station in the Klein School opened in the spring of 1938. In the fall of 1938, the school was penalized for significant book losses in the spring and given no books until payment was made for the lost books. In 1940, 91 books were lost in a fire at the Klein school. The station in the school closed in 1946, and the school was served by the bookmobile from 1951 to 1952. 

 

Kutschbach School

In operation: 1924 - 1936

 

The library station in the Kutschbach School opened in 1924. The station in the school was closed in 1936 when the school consolidated with the Spring Branch School. 

 

L

La Porte Colored School

In operation: 1924 - 1941

 

In the first years of the twentieth century, Black children in La Porte were educated in a neighborhood church that was open during the week for that purpose. In 1909 the La Porte Independent School District repurposed a former Methodist church building, and the La Porte Colored School officially opened.  Viola DeWalt was the first teacher for the school. The school taught students from grades one through eight.    

In 1924, the relatively new Harris County Public Library deposited a small collection of books at the school.  DeWalt was appointed the librarian's "custodian." The students checked out 92 books during the first year of service.  The school maintained stable circulation throughout the 1920s and 1930s, peaking in 1926 with 433 books circulating. The average yearly circulation was 260.  Like most library stations in schools, the library was closed during the summer months and would occasionally close during the school year during harvest times. The school circulated 322 books in 1941 and 121 books during the first months of 1942.  The library was closed in May 1942. There were about 18 students enrolled at the school that year.   

 

 

Louetta Colored School

In operation: 1931

 

A small collection of books were borrowed from the Central Office and circulated at the Louetta Colored School in 1931. The segregated school served Black students in the small community of Louetta. The town of Louetta was dissolved in 1946.

M

Mary Burnett School for Girls

In operation: 1949 - 1950

 

The Mary Burnett School for Girls received a bookmobile stop from 1949 to 1950.  

 

See also: Harris County School for Girls

 

McGhee Elementary School

In operation: 1939 - 1941

 

A library station at McGhee Elementary School opened in 1939. The segregated school served black students in the Channelview community. The station remained open until 1941. To learn more about this school, read the Historic Marker Application: McGhee Elementary School Building at the Portal to Texas History.

 

Minnetex School

In operation: 1927 - 1932 and 1943 - October 1945

 

The library station in the Minnetex School opened in 1927. The station was closed in 1932 when service was consolidated to the Garden Villas branch. The area was also supplemented by book wagon service during the 1930s. In 1943, a library station was again opened in the community, although it closed by October 1945. At the end of the 1940s, a bookmobile stop was added to serve the community, although it too closed after just a couple of years.

 

Morgan's Point School

In operation: 1924 - 1936

 

The library station in Morgan's Point School opened in 1924. The station temporarily closed in September 1935 due to a lack of space for the collection, but it reopened shortly after. The station closed permanently at the end of the 1935-1936 school year when the school was consolidated with La Porte School The community of Morgan's Point is listed in a 1937 article as a bookmobile stop, but no further mention is made of the community in the annual reports after 1936.

 

Mykawa School

In operation: 1921 - 1932

 

The library station in the Mykawa School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The station in the school was closed in 1932 when the Garden Villas branch opened. The community received book wagon service for a bit in the 1930s. In the late 1940s, the community was noted as being on the bookmobile service. References to the community in the annual reports end in 1951. 

 

N

Neidorf School

In operation: 1929 - 1939

 

The library station in the Neidorf School opened in 1929. The community was known as both Neidorf and Neudorf. The station in the school was closed in 1936.

 

North Houston School

In operation: 1927 - 1935

 

A library station at the North Houston School opened in 1927. The station remained open until 1935. 

 

 

O

Oates Prairie School

In operation: 1923 - 1937 and 1949 - 1951?

 

The library station in the Oates Prairie School opened in 1924, although it is spelled "Oats Prairie" in that year's annual report. The school station closed in 1937. In 1949, the school is on the bookmobile service, although the stop was discontinued in the early 1950s.

 

Orange Grove School

In operation: 1949 - 1951?

 

The bookmobile stop at the Orange Grove School opened in 1949 and served the students and surrounding community. References to this bookmobile stop end after 1951.

 

P

Piney Point School

In operation: 1923 - 1929

 

A library station in the Piney Point School opened in 1923. During the summer of 1929, when the station would usually be closed due to the school break, a temporary collection was placed at the school for the community to access.  That fall, the temporary collection was returned to the Central Office and the station at the school was permanently closed.

 

Post Oak School

In operation: 1921 - 1946

 

The library station in the Post Oak School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. A newspaper article from 1924 notes that “out at Post Oak, at Borzillo’s store, and around John Smith School on Westheimer, Road, the population is mostly foreign, Italian truck farms and their families predominating, with a few scattered people of German and Polish extraction.” The station in the school closed on August 31, 1929. The station was reopened in 1935 and operated for a few years before closing again in June 1938, when it was placed on the bookmobile service. The stop was discontinued in 1946. 

 

R

Roberts School (Memorial School)

In operation: 1924 - May 20, 1929

 

A library station was opened in Robert Elementary School in 1924.   The school was located on the grounds of what was Camp Logan, in the old Red Cross building.  In 1926, Memorial Elementary opened to replace Roberts, and the library collection moved over to the new school. In 1927, the school had a circulation of 1,394. The station in the school was closed on May 30, 1929, when the school district was annexed to the city of Houston. The circulation at the end of 1929 was 962.

 

Rural High School No. 1

In operation: 1932 - 1937

 

The library station in the Rural High School No. 1 opened in 1932 when the Oak Grove and Willow schools were consolidated. The station closed in 1937.

S

Sewell School

In operation: 1930

 

A small collection of books from the Central Office was placed at the Sewell School.  As the school was small and had only a few pupils, the collections were not large enough to be considered separate library stations.  The circulation statistics for the school were included with the statistics for the Central Office.  

Sewell is only referenced in the 1930 annual report.  Service beyond 1930 is unknown.  

 

Sheldon School

In operation: 1927 - 1937

 

The library station in the Sheldon School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The station in the school was closed in 1937 and the school was instead added to the Bookmobile service. The bookmobile continued to stop at the school through the 1950s.

 

Smiley School

In operation: 1927 - 1937

 

In 1936, the East Houston School was renamed the Smiley School.  HCPL had installed a collection in East Houston School in 1927.  The station at Smiley School was closed the following year, after the Bookmobile debuted.  That year, many school library stations were closed, and schools were put on the Bookmobile route instead, which offered a larger collection that regularly rotated.

 

See also: East Houston School

 

South Mayde School

In operation: 1924 - 1932

 

The library station in the South Mayde School opened in 1924 and operated until the school was consolidated (along with Stockdick School) into the Katy School in 1932.

 

Southland School

In operation: 1921 - 1940

 

The library station in the Southland School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The station continued to operate through the worst years of the Great Depression but eventually closed in 1938. A bookmobile stop was added and service the community until 1940.

 

Spring Branch School

In operation: 1921 - 1940

 

The library station in the Spring Branch School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The school station closed and a bookmobile stop started in 1937, which continued to run until 1940.

 

Stockdick School

In operation: 1924 - 1932

 

The library station in the Stockdick School opened in 1924 and operated until the school was consolidated (along with South Mayde School) into the Katy School in 1932.

 

Sykes School

In operation: 1925 - 1930

 

In 1925, a library station was placed in Sykes School.  The station was eventually closed in 1930, when the City of Houston's borders extended to include the school district.

 

W

Waller School

In operation: 1932

 

In 1932 a library station was briefly located in the Waller School when it consolidated with the Hegar School (also referred to as Kickapoo in the annual reports). 

 

Webster School

In operation: 1921 - 1939

 

The library station in the Webster School opened in 1921 and was one of the 26 original library stations in Harris County. The station in the school was closed in 1938, and the school was put on the bookmobile route. The stop at the school was discontinued at the beginning of the 1939 school year, as the school had by then established an extensive library of its own for students to use.

 

West University School

In operation: 1926 - 1942

 

The library station in the West University School opened in 1926. The station closed briefly in 1934 but soon reopened. A new West University branch opened in November 1941, as the use of the school station was increasing rapidly. The school continued to offer its collection through the end of the 1942 school year and was then closed.

 

White Oak Colored School

In operation: 1939 - 1952?

 

A library station at the White Oak Colored School opened in 1939. The segregated school served Black students in the Acres Home community. The station remained open until 1947, when it was switched over to bookmobile service. The bookmobile stop was discontinued after 1952. The school was later renamed the George Washington Carver School (not to be confused with the George Washington Carver High School in Baytown). As of 2021, the school is known as Carver High School.

 

White Oak School

In operation: 1923 - 1940

 

The library station in the White Oak School opened in 1923. In 1937, the school was consolidated with Aldine School, but service continued, possibly through the bookmobile, to the area until May 1940.

 

Williamson School

In operation: 1923 - May 31, 1927

 

A library station was opened at Williamson School in 1923. The school was consolidated with Higgs School at the end of the 1927-1928 school year. The last day of service was May 31, 1928.

 

Willow School

In operation: 1927 - February 1932

 

A library station was opened at Willow School in 1927. In 1932, the school consolidated with Oak Grove and became Rural High School No. 1. 

 

Winkler School

In operation: 1930

 

A small collection of books from the Central Office was placed at Winkler School.  As the school was small and had only a few pupils, the collections were not large enough to be considered separate library stations.  The circulation statistics for the school were included with the statistics for the Central Office.  

Winkler is only referenced in the 1930 annual report.  Service beyond 1930 is unknown.