Austin, Stephen F., Elementary School
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 as the Sixth Ward School on Fort Worth's south side, this two-story red brick and stone building later took the name Stephen F. Austin Elementary School in 1904. Its Romanesque Revival design features two large arched entrances with rough-faced stone voussoirs, stone quoins, lintels and sills, and false turrets with triangular parapets. Messer, Sanguinet & Messer designed the original building. Sanguinet & Staats added a matching wing in 1909, and a kitchen followed in 1958 in similar materials. The school served students for 85 years until the Fort Worth school board closed it in 1977, and it is considered the oldest surviving school building in Tarrant County. After a period of lease to a mental health authority, the building was renovated as corporate headquarters. The work kept pressed metal ceilings, wainscotting, interior windows and blackboards, so the building retains the feel of a turn-of-the-century school.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is architecturally significant as a vernacular version of the Romanesque Revival style, designed by the prominent Fort Worth firms Messer, Sanguinet & Messer and later Sanguinet & Staats. It is also thought to be the oldest surviving school building in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, used for elementary education for 85 years. Its sympathetic conversion to corporate offices is noted as an example of adaptive reuse.
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 83003160, listed March 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 319 Lipscomb St., Fort Worth |
|---|---|
| County | Tarrant County |
| Listed | March 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003160 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Messer, Sanguinet & Messer (1892); Sanguinet & Staats (1909); Morris & Parker (1958) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted to corporate headquarters after the school closed in 1977; the renovation retained original trim, pressed metal ceilings, interior windows and blackboards. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Coordinates | 32.74136, -97.33276 (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 83003160.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7609162
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.