Brenham High School Gymnasium

Built in 1939-40 by the Works Progress Administration, this gymnasium at 1301 South Market in Brenham combines Rustic building traditions with massing reminiscent of the International Style. Steel framing on a concrete slab is faced with random-laid native fieldstone, while metal factory-sash windows, concrete sills and lintels, and red brick detailing add contrast. The building rises from one to three stories in stepped blocks that express the different functions inside. The north facade has a three-story block at the northwest corner with a stepped-arch double-door entry trimmed in red brick, reached by a stair with fieldstone walls. The west side has a three-arch arcade. It is regarded as an excellent local example of 1930s labor-intensive, government-built Rustic architecture, valued for its local stone veneer and utilitarian design. A similar WPA gymnasium stands on the Blinn College campus. The building remains essentially unaltered and is still used as a gymnasium.