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On July 22, 1855, two acres of land along Grape Creek was
purchased from Peter Pehl for $4. After the land was acquired, the men in
the community gathered to build a 16' by 15' log cabin schoolhouse. Due to an increase in the student population by 1881, the
building had become too small to accommodate all the children so a 10'
addition of native limestone was built. The Luckenbach School was
designated as District #3. Families who settled in the
community paid one dollar per year for their children to attend school. Many
of these families are still represented in the area today.
During the 1860's, a one-room stone teacherage was built.
The floors were made of 16 inch wide planks from Indianola and the
rafters were hand-hewn. Another room was added later to join the teacher's
house to the school. In 1905, a new 25' x 34' schoolhouse was built of native
limestone from the Pehl property, some of them measuring
22 inches by 54 inches. An old-fashioned
school bell summoned the children to class with the boys lining up on the left and
the girls on the right. Older students would help the younger ones with grammar
and math. Some of the creative games played during recess were andy-over, stink base, dodge
ball, drop the hankie, and kick the can.
In 1949, due to the passage of the Gilmer-Aiken Law, which
limited the number of students per teacher, Luckenbach became a two-teacher
school with grades one through eight. During that year, another room,
measuring 18' x 24' and constructed of hollow tile, was added to the school
building.
In 1964, the Luckenbach School District was consolidated with the Fredericksburg
School District. The Luckenbach Community Club was organized and
currently hosts bi-monthly pinochle parties, picnics, and
family reunions. The building is also a site for precinct voting for state and federal elections.
In 1982, a Texas Historical Commission marker was dedicated.