Marvin College from 1870 to 2000 A Series of Articles taken from "This Was Ellis County," Fifth Edition, 1981 Published by Waxahachie High School Junior Historians. Contributed by Jean Caddel The first home of Marvin College was located in a large building at the corner of the present streets of Jefferson and Monroe in Waxahachie. Thoughts of the building which it eventually occupied were started when the 1868 Northwest Conference started in 1870 and was completed by fall of 1871, with the commencement that year held in the unfinished building in June. Built at a cost of $22,000, the structure was a two story brick of 70 by 50 feet. It rested on a four-foot thick rock fondation, in turn resting on white rock, with 18-inch thick walls. At the front of the building was a tower with a 13-foot projection. It was in Gothic style brick supplied by "Rogers and Snyder" from sands of Waxahachie Creek. Hoffman Brothers contracted the construction. The total height was 28 feet with the upper floor 18 feet high and the first floor, 10 feet. On the first floor werre six recitation rooms and a 40-foot square study hall for the preparatory department. This hall could seat 300 students. On the second floor was a large chapel, the full size of the building, which could seat 800 persons. A Mansard roof was added to the building between 1880 and 1882. A former student recalls its interior was plastered in something resembling marble. In the tower structure was the most prized article about the building - a huge bell, given to the school by the merchants of New York City. The tones of the bell could be heard for more than five miles, it is reported. This bell continued to be used until the 1940's. It is now stored in the Ellis County Museum. The building was used by Waxahachie students until 1919, when it was judged to be unsafe. The public school board directed that it be demolisshed in December of 1920. Observatory - One of the most interesting portions of the campus was a curious-shaped building on the front west side with a rounded globe-like top. This was the two-story observatory, which was under construction in October of 1881. The lower part was a laboratory and the upper story contained a nine-foot equatorial telescope received in early November of 1881 at a cost of $1,200 from Pike and Sons of New York. Achievements Marvin College was considered by many to be outstanding among schools of its type. Some considered it second to none in the state. The editor of the Waxahachie Enterprise reported it was "soon to be the Cambridge of Texas." One of the college's specialities was its music course, boasted of by school officials to be the finest in Texas. In the early 1870's, Marvin College was considered by the Methodists as a possible location for Southwestern University, which was eventually located in Georgetown. In the early 1880's, local leaders even made a futile bid at locating Texas University at the site of Marvin College. Prominent individuals associated with the College - In the full length version of this historical research at Sims Library, brief biographies and explanations of their associations with Marvin College are available on the following persons: William G. Veal, Smith Ragsdale, W. P. McKensie, D. Shaw, Moses H. and Artemessia Meek, Dr. M. B. Franklin, C. E. Brown, James A. Walkup, J. Fred Cox, Gen. L. M. Lewis, Clarence N. Ousley, George W. Armstrong, James Andrew Beall and Frank Lee Hawkins. The Closing The last year of Marvin College ended in June of 1884. A combination of factors led to its death. Charles E. Brown left close relationship with the college when he became associated with H. W. Graber and Company. The college also lost the direction and influence of General Lewis when he resigned in March of 1884. Mounting debts and unpaid tuition bills placed Marvin in financial difficulties. The winter fuel bill of 1883-84, when thirty tons of coal were used in the wood-burning facilities, enlarged the indebtedness. The managers received no salaries. J. B. Watkins and Company held a $6,000 mortgage against the property. Combined with these factors, there arose the movement in 1884 for the city to take over control of Waxahachie schools. City voters petitioned for an election establishing public schools and in April of 1884, the election was approved overwhelmingly. This presented the opportunity for the college owners to sell the property to the City of Waxahachie for use in the new public schools. After legal actions previously mentioned, the city gained control in 1889. In Conclusion For over a century, children of Waxahachie, Ellis County, neighboring counties, out of state, and foreign countries have attended school at the location at the north end of College Street. It has been called Marvin College, City Public School, Waxahachie College, Park School, Waxahachie High School , Central Ward School, and Marvin Elementary School. Most of the local children have studied here. Few know of the story this ten acres of land holds for our city and state. The site deserves the recognition and commemoration it receive with designation of a Texas State Historical Marker. The college was a  point of pride and hope for this community while it existed, even though during its existence city residents were called on at numerous times to help the college out of its financial difficulties. They responded with donations, enrolling their children, and with the purchases of college-owned lands. The college stood as a tribute to the Methodists of the Waxahachie District of the Northwest Conference who conceived the idea of such a college and supported it throughout its existence. (The above article is a condensed and partial version of a longer research work written by Billy R. Hancock, Junior Historian sponsor, during 1974-75 with research by his local history students. The original full-length article is on file in Sims Library and was done as a prelude to obtaining a Texas State Historical Marker for the historic site, which stood until the year 1999 in front of Marvin Elementary School.) Waxahachie College by Martee Foster The ownership of Marvin College was passed from one owner to another from 1871 until 1884 at which time the citizens of Waxahachie voted to form a public school. The committee in charge of buying property for the school arranged for the purchase of Marvin College. The purchase included the buildings and ten acres for a sale price of $15,000; however, the city council refused to provide the money. Charles E. Brown and James Walkup, owners of the property, filed sit in District Court because the trustees did not pay the agreed price ice of $15,999. The District Court ruled in favor of the owners, but the city appealed the case and the Texas Supreme Court reversed the decision. After this, Brown and Walkup made other arrangements for the sale of their property. Reverend John Collier of Mansfield heard that Marvin College was for sale and verbally contracted with the owners on April 22, 1887, to purchase the school property. The details were not worked out until June 29, 1887, at which time Collier purchased the college for $16,000,Rev. Collier paid $$900 in cash, executed nine notes of $1,000 each to Brown, Cox and Walkup, and assumed a debt of $6,000 due J. B. Watkins and Company. Thus Waxahachie College was established. Within the next few weeks Collier was busy preparing his school. He proposed to act with the trustees and city council in promoting public school interest in Waxahachie. Collier's goal was to build one of the grandest educational enterprises of the South in Waxahachie, once famous for facilities for higher education. Waxahachie College opened its first ten-month term on Monday, September 5, 1887, with an enrollment of 310. The next day the college received 23 more pupils. The students who were on the public school list of the city and those properly transferred from other communities received the benefit of public tax dollars, which paid for three months of their school. Tuition ranged from two to six dollars and was due in advance. On the opening day of school, Waxahachie College had nine teachers: Rev. Collier, Science and Language; N. J. Foster, mathematics; Mrs. Speer, Female College Department; Mrs. Homer, Female Intermediate Department; J. Ryburn, Male Intermediate Department; Mrs. L. Nash, Primer Department, principal; Mrs. Gibson, Art; McMillan, Music; Mrs. Patterson, Penmanship. College in the 1880's included what is today grades one through twelve. By October 18, there were 450 students enrolled. Female students were to be boarded by the president. Board cost was $12.50 per month. Tuition for the primary grades was $2.50; intermediate, $3-4; academic $4-5 and music $5 per semester. Also offered were elocution, art, drawing, painting and penmanship. At the time that Collier was operating the school it consisted of a well-built two-story and three-story brick structure with a total of sixteen rooms, a two-story brick residence or boarding house with twelve rooms, a good frame house with nine rooms, and two well-built music rooms. A visitor stated that "I have not seen a more beautifully located and promising school in the state than this." The school was located on the ten acres which was well ornamented. By February a commercial department was opened at Waxahachie College with B. I. Gorman as the manager. The department taught bookkeeping and expected to arrange for stenography and typewriting. This college operated with financial difficulty until the spring of 1889. In May of 1889, a District Court in Dallas County ordered that the Waxahachie College property be sold at public auction to satisfy claims of Eagle Cotton Gin Company against it. Sheriff W. P. Watt of Ellis County carried out the order when the property was sold to Henry C. Coke. In the following month, Coke sold the school property to the city of Waxahachie for the use of the public schools of Waxahachie. Since that time, the property at Marvin and College has been utilized as a public school. (To summarize, this location at College street and Marvin Avenue was first built as Marvin College in 1870, other buildings were added in the early 1880's, in the mid-1880's, the Waxahachie public schools were operated here, and in the late 1880's, Waxahachie College was housed here before it again came into the public school system.) Park School by Jeff Wallace The City of Waxahachie regained the property and Waxahachie public schools have operated there since that time. On this campus no building had been constructed since the 1880's but, by 1903, the parents of children who attended the Park School began to see that a better school building was needed. Conditions there were reported as being bad. In May of 1903, the Waxahachie City Council met with the school board for purpose of considering the erection of a building or buildings for Waxahachie public schools. After discussions between the council and the school board, a bond election was called for and in June, Waxahachie voters by a vote of 217 for and 82 against authorized the issuance of bonds for the construction of public school buildings. Approved were $24,000 worth of bonds which were issued in denominations of $400 each at 4 percent interest for forty years. The City reserved the right to redeem them at any time after ten years. A committee appointed to supervise the school construction consisted of Aldermen S. P. Langsford, D. G. Thompson, and W. J. McDuffie. The bond work committee, composed of Mayor W. J. Ross, Alderman Langsford and City Attorney Chapman, was appointed and by September the bonds had been approved and registered in Austin. Architects who were hired during the summer to design and direct the construction of the new building were S. Wemys Smith and Malcolm Moore. In early March of 1904, the County Commissioners Court authorized the investment of $18,000 of the county's permanent school fund in the City of Waxahachie school bonds and the County Judge and Treasurer made the necessary arrangements with city officials. The commissioners hoped to take the remaining $6,000 worth of bonds before the funds would be needed for building. Evidently, this was done. With the funds from the county now available, Alderman McDuffie ordered 500,000 bricks for the school from a Ferris Brick Company and they arrived about April 20th. Bids for the construction work were requested and nine were received. After study of the bids, the firm of E. S. Boze and Frank Compton was awarded the contract on March 29th. The amount of the contract was $18, 643, including materials and labor, but excluding the brick which was supplied by the city. The contractors were to complete the building before school started in September. Penalty for exceeding the time limit was $10 per day. Boze and Compton started their work during the last week of April while school was still in session. By May 20th, the foundation concrete had been poured and excavation for the basement and brick laying had started. Throughout the summer construction progressed. By early October, the building was ready for use. Even with the addition of the new building, classes were crowded. Some of the lower grade students attended classes in three rooms of the old building which stood immediately to the rear of the new one. The new building constructed of red pressed brick, was three stories and a basement. It contained fifteen rooms and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 700. There was an office for the superintendent and a "cloak" room for every room except two. The building was totally electric. Window shades furnished by Spalding and McCartney covered the windows of each room. Linoleum covered the floors and the rooms opened into the hall. The low pressure steam heating apparatus was located in the basement and each room was heated by a "bright red" painted radiator. By late October, "New-Oxford: desks had arrived and were well accepted by the students. On the first floor were two first grade rooms, two second grade, and two third grade rooms. The superintendent's office was also here. On the second floor, seven rooms. There were two rooms for the fourth fifth and sixth grades, and one for the seventh grade students. On the third floor was the main auditorium (used as a study hall) with a stage and two high school rooms. Some high school students were housed in other campus buildings. By the third week in November, the debris had been cleared away from the building and it looked like the new school it was meant to be. Note: Since the old building had been remodeled many times, with additions and out buildings, nor part was recognizable as the original. It has been wrecked to make room for the new. Note the similarity of the new entry to that of the Park School. The West entry is similar, thus preserving a bit of the appearance and heritage of the Old Park School. All pre-school and kindergarten students in the Waxahachie school system attend the new school. The Historical Marker was salvaged, and re-erected after the building was completed.   Copyright © 2006-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:30:29 MDT