{"nrhp_refnum":"06000510","name":"Our Mother of Mercy School","other_names":["Our Lady of Mercy School"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"801 Verbena St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fort Worth","county":"Tarrant County","state":"TX","lat":32.735047647000044,"lon":-97.31921712799999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-06-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Black"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story orange brick former Catholic parish school at 801 Verbena Street in the Near Southeast area of Fort Worth, Texas, built in 1931 and designed and built by the parish priest, Father N. P. Denis, with parish members.","why_significant":"The school is significant under Criterion A in Education and Ethnic Heritage: Black for providing kindergarten through eighth grade instruction to African American children from 1931 until 1953. Most students were non-Catholic, reflecting the desire of many Black families for a quality education. Criteria Consideration A is met because the nomination rests on historical significance rather than religious doctrine.","narrative":"Built in 1931 at 801 Verbena Street in Fort Worth's Near Southeast neighborhood, this one-story school was designed by parish priest Father Narcissus P. Denis and constructed by members of the congregation. Its walls are structural clay tile faced with orange brick laid in Flemish bond, set on a raised concrete basement that held an auditorium with a stage. Four classrooms occupied the first floor, and triangular pediments and corner finials give the building a Classical Revival character. The school served African American children from kindergarten through eighth grade, taught by Sisters of the Holy Ghost, and most pupils were not Catholic. Families chose it for the quality of education it offered. Instruction continued here until 1953, when the school moved to a former parish school a few blocks away. The building later housed a nursery school and then stood vacant for roughly thirty years, suffering damage. It was recognized for its role in education and Black heritage, and a city plan proposed converting it into a branch library.","period_of_significance":"1931-1953","architect_builder":"Denis, Reverend N. P., designer and builder","architectural_style":"Classical Revival influence (large triangular pediments over the entrances)","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Vacant for nearly 30 years, deteriorated by neglect and vandalism; rehabilitation as a branch library was planned.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.049811-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/42/9735/40973542/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/06000510.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000510/eb9eb8f6b3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000510/eb9eb8f6b3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Our_Mother_of_Mercy_School.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Our_Mother_of_Mercy_School.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973542","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110002639"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/tarrant-county/our-mother-of-mercy-school-06000510/"}