Photo Gallery
Church and School Also
Published: 01/01/1937 by Anonymous
The main feature of this old building at La Vernia is that when it was erected by the Masonic Lodge, it was built specifically for a three-fold purpose. The Lodge owned the building and maintained its meeting place on the second floor, but the first floor was constructed for public worship and school purposes. From the time the building was built in the 50's until the first church buildings were erected in the late 60's the first floor of the Masonic building was used alternately on Sundays by different denominations for their worship place and the members of the Lodge fostered public worship in the building in many ways. Then again the Lodge fostered education in every way possible.The building was used for school purpose until little more than a decade ago. At one time fram lean to rooms were erected around the main stone building to accommodate the increasing number of pupils. A big platform or stage was built in the rear of the main buildings and it was on this platform that exhibitions were held at the close of school each year. That was in the days before they started commencements. Hundreds of pupils secured all the education they ever got in school right there and as one timer put it, they had to exhibit at the end of the term what they had learned. Spelling matches out of the old blue back speller were great features of the exhibitions. Some of the best known men in public office in Texas thought the past generation have been heard there at the close of school.
Through the efforts of the Masonic Lodge and the citizenship generally the school was kept at a high standard for those days. Prof. V. L. Gruffs, who became a well known educator in Texas, had charge of the school for a number of years. Prof. A.V. McCallum, who has been superintendent of schools in Austin, for twenty seven years, taught his first school in this old red building and it was there he met his wife, the former Secretary of State, Jane Y. McCallum, who had her first schooling in the old building. Several well known San Antonians, among them Dr. C. E. Scull, received their first schooling in this old building. Though La Vernia, now has four church buildings and a modern school building the Masonic Lodge still meets in the old rock building.
Through the efforts of the Masonic Lodge and the citizenship generally the school was kept at a high standard for those days. Prof. V. L. Gruffs, who became a well known educator in Texas, had charge of the school for a number of years. Prof. A.V. McCallum, who has been superintendent of schools in Austin, for twenty seven years, taught his first school in this old red building and it was there he met his wife, the former Secretary of State, Jane Y. McCallum, who had her first schooling in the old building. Several well known San Antonians, among them Dr. C. E. Scull, received their first schooling in this old building. Though La Vernia, now has four church buildings and a modern school building the Masonic Lodge still meets in the old rock building.
