Fourth Ward School
Also known as: San Antonio Independant School District Administration Offic
Why it's listed
Two connected stone buildings at 141 Lavaca Street in San Antonio began in 1875 as a city-built structure with a fire station on the first floor and the Fourth Ward School upstairs. They form an L shape joined by an L-shaped porch. Building A is limestone, and Building B is quarry-face stone. Both have hip roofs, gables, and wooden modillions and consoles under the eaves. The fire station left in 1882, when the whole building became the Seventh Ward School. It later served as an annex to Page School before conversion to offices in the late 1920s. It remains the district's administration offices. It is the only survivor of the five schools in the city's first school system, which began in 1875, and it typifies the two-story limestone grammar schools of that era. The architect and builder are unknown, though the work reflects German-Victorian craftsmanship common in the area. Its location near the King William District adds to its local importance.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving building of the five original schools of San Antonio's first school system, established in 1875. It represents the typical two-story limestone grammar school of the period. It also reflects the growth of public education in the city and served prominent families nearby.
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 78002891, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 141 Lavaca St., San Antonio |
|---|---|
| County | Bexar County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002891 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1875 |
| Architectural style | Victorian-Italianate (as classified by the San Antonio Historic Survey) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as the San Antonio Independent School District Administration Office, with later additions such as concrete porches and a north addition. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Lavaca Historic District |
| Coordinates | 29.41706, -98.48668 (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 78002891.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001601
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.