Facilities

At the start of the twentieth century, African-American children in La Porte had no school to call their own. Education space was borrowed from a neighborhood Baptist Church, but that all changed in 1909 when the La Porte school trustees established a new school on the north side of the city. A short time after the school was officially created, the first ten students along with their teacher, Viola DeWalt, found a new home in a small one-room building purchased by the school district. For the next thirty-four years, the building held daily classes until a two-room structure was moved onsite and became the primary facility.

For many years after it ceased to be used for daily education, the historic one-room schoolhouse was still a centerpiece in the community. The small building hosted school performances and acted as the meeting place for all north-side community celebrations. Over time, the structure fell into disrepair suffering the crippling effects of time and neglect. Through the combined efforts of the La Porte Community Civic Club and the City of La Porte, the building has been completely rebuilt and once again took center stage in the community as it was dedicated on Saturday, July 21, 2018, as a museum and historical site.