Lott-Canada School
Also known as: Lott--Canada High School; Beeville Rosenwald School
Why it's listed
Built in 1931-1932 at 900 W. Corpus Christi Street in Beeville, Texas, this H-shaped, one-story school was funded in part by the Julius Rosenwald program for African-American education. It follows Community School Plan #4-A for a four-teacher school, with wood framing, red brick veneer, a recessed porch and front-facing gables. Inside were four classrooms, an auditorium with stage, and an office that doubled as a library. It was named for Mose Lott and Allen Canada, carpenters who built an earlier school for Black students in Beeville. Separate and unequal conditions were the norm: desks and books were hand-me-downs from white schools. The high school grades were integrated in 1955, and the remaining grades by 1964. Windows, porch columns and interior spaces have been altered, but the building keeps good integrity. A homemaking cottage on the block also contributes. Today it serves as a Coastal Bend College adult learning center, and it is the only surviving property tied to Black education in the community.
Significance in brief: It is the sole surviving property directly tied to African-American education in Beeville and a rare reminder of segregated schooling in Bee County. It is a good example of a four-teacher Rosenwald school built to Community School Plan #4-A. It is nominated under Criterion A in Education and Ethnic Heritage-African American at the local level.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000981, listed December 7, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 900 W Corpus Christi St, Beeville |
|---|---|
| County | Bee County |
| Listed | December 7, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000981 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1931-1964 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still owned by Beeville Independent School District and leased to Coastal Bend College, which uses it as an adult learning center; brick veneer is in extremely poor condition. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 28.39867, -97.75781 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000981.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000041
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.