Courtney & St. Holland’s Schools

The two-story brick school building in Courtney was completed in 1913 during a period of economic prosperity in the area spurred by cotton that was cultivated throughout the fertile Brazos River bottomlands. When Navasota ISD consolidated in the 1950s, the White students at Courtney School transferred to schools in Navasota, and the Courtney School building became the area’s Black school until the school district was integrated in 1966. Sometime during that period, the St. Holland’s School building was moved to the site where it served as the cafeteria for the Courtney School. The St. Holland’s school building still stands separate but next to the two story 1913 school building and, until recently, was used as a community room and Grimes County precinct voting station. The Courtney School building, which is thought to be the oldest school still standing in Grimes County, has been largely vacant over the last sixty years. Broken windows, a leaking roof, and structural damage have left the building in serious disrepair. Community members hope to turn both buildings into a local museum, but without funding or a preservation plan, efforts to save the building have stalled.  

Learn More:

Courtney School Approved for Preservation Texas’ 2023 Most Endangered Places List, Navasota Examiner

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LOCATION: 16263 6th Street, Navasota (Grimes County)

DESIGNATION: None

STATUS: Endangered

RESOURCE TYPE: Institutional

YEAR LISTED: 2023