Grapetown School
Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas
School Snapshot
Quick details for visitors
- 📍 Location 7325 Old San Antonio Road
- 🗓️ Established 1884
- 🏫 School Type One-room country school
- 🔑 Access Grounds open; building open during events (when scheduled)
- 🧭 Directions Open in Google Maps
- 🎟️ Open Houses View upcoming dates
Plan Your Visit to Grapetown School
Upcoming Open House
Click below to view all upcoming events.
June 6, 2026
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Theme: Come Tour the Historic School and Teacherage. Special recognition honoring those former Grapetown Students who served in Normandy will be celebrated as it is the 82nd Anniversary of D-Day - sacrifices of Allied forces during the pivotal World War II invasion, a crucial moment in World War II that led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation.
Use the button below to view all open houses and events.
Directions to Grapetown School
The Grapetown School is located at 7325 Old San Antonio Road.
Use the buttons below to view the driving directions to Grapetown School and to download the printable Driving Trail brochure.
Overview
Grapetown School was built in 1884 and later included a limestone two-room teacherage, completed in 1887. It is one of four historic Gillespie County schools that still has its original teacherage, where the teacher lived during the school year.
The school served the Grapetown community until 1944, when students began attending Cain City School due to low enrollment. In 1949, Grapetown School was consolidated with Rocky Hill School as part of rural school consolidation in Texas.
Life at Grapetown School
All visits and tours are by appointment only. To make rental arrangements or request additional information, please contact the school’s designated rental representative by phone or submit your request through our Contact Us form. When using the form, be sure to select the school(s) you wish to visit and include your preferred date and details.
For the Grapetown School, please contact Jan Iwanicki at 830-990-1778.
If the school building is locked, feel free to look through the windows to glimpse the interior. Should a private event be underway, we kindly ask that you respect the occasion and avoid interrupting activities.
To schedule a guided visit or tour of the Grapetown School, please contact Jan Iwanicki at 830-990-1778, or submit a request through our Contact Us form. When using the form, select Grapetown School from the dropdown menu and include your preferred date, time, and any additional details.
- The Cave Creek School has served as a precinct polling place since 1889.
- The building is also home to the Cave Creek 4-H Club.
- A bird-watching station has been added to the school property.
Full History of Grapetown School
The Grapetown community began in 1857, when Ferdinand Doebbler built a stagecoach stop at the crossing of Immigrant Road and Upper South Grape Creek. As settlers moved into the area, the need for a school grew. Mr. Doebbler purchased a small stone house from James William Vance and donated it for use as a schoolhouse. After the Civil War, a log school was built on the Friedrich Baag property.
On April 1, 1882, Friedrich Baag gave a parcel of land for a school, with the provision that no religious or political meetings would be held there. The men of the community donated the labor to build a one-room limestone schoolhouse. Because construction took place whenever time could be spared, the building took 2½ years to complete.
In 1886, the community decided to build a two-room stone teacherage with a porch. It was completed in 1887. Later, a frame kitchen and storeroom were added on the north side of the house, and a stone smokehouse was built nearby.
In the early years, school closing picnics and celebrations were important community events. Programs often included skits, drills, plays, songs, poems, and public oral examinations. These examinations were difficult and required a great deal of courage from the students.
In 1904, the county established the school district boundary lines for tax purposes. Children attended Grapetown School from the surrounding area, including some from as far away as Kendall County.
By 1944, enrollment had dropped to 11 pupils, and Grapetown students were transported to Cain City School. This continued until 1949, when the Gilmer-Aikin Laws led to the consolidation of Grapetown and Cain City schools with Rocky Hill School.
Because Grapetown residents and parents had built the former school, the Grapetown Community Club was organized in 1951 to regain community ownership and preserve the school and its history. As of December 2024, only two former Grapetown students were still living.
For more historical information about Grapetown School, visit the website created by the Klinksiek Family.
Grapetown Photo Gallery
