Williams Creek School
Also known as: Albert School
Why it's listed
Williams Creek School, also called Albert School, is a rural schoolhouse about sixteen miles southeast of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas. The original 43 by 23 foot room was built in 1897 of locally quarried limestone. In 1923 a frame classroom clad in pressed tin was added, joined by an open breezeway to form a dogtrot plan. Original floors, bead board walls, blackboards, a bell, student desks and a painted stage curtain survive. A cistern, two barbecue pits and a shelter date from about 1936. The school served the Albert community until it was consolidated with Fredericksburg in 1950, and lessons were first taught in German. Lyndon Baines Johnson attended for the 1920-21 term. After closing, the grounds continued as a social gathering place, and the buildings remain largely unaltered. The property is recognized for its role in local education and for its intact picture of rural school life.
Significance in brief: The complex is significant locally under Criterion A in the area of Education. It shows how rural schooling worked in German-settled Gillespie County from 1897 until the school closed in 1950. It has changed very little since then and keeps a high degree of integrity. Future U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson attended during the 1920-21 term.
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 05000384, listed May 6, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5501 South RM 1623, Stonewall |
|---|---|
| County | Gillespie County |
| Listed | May 6, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000384 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1897-1950 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as a social clubhouse; the property is described as virtually unchanged since the school closed in 1950. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Coordinates | 30.19593, -98.60066 (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 05000384.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8021007
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.