Lower South Grape Creek School

School Snapshot

Quick details for visitors

Location 10273 East US Highway 290
Established 1901
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

Built in 1901 and consolidated in 1960, Lower South Grape Creek School served families living along South Grape Creek between Luckenbach and the Pedernales River.

Holiday programs were an important part of school life. Students memorized their parts for Washington’s Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other special occasions, then performed for their families and neighbors. Christmas plays were held inside the school, where a curtain was hung across the front of the room and students used a side window as their entrance and exit.

One Christmas, Santa Claus handed out oranges, apples, and candy, then lit the candles on the Christmas tree. When his beard caught fire, he quickly escaped through the window and headed for the well — a story still remembered as part of the school’s colorful history.

Our schools are available be rented for private functions, weddings, and other social gatherings at a nominal fee of $25 per 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 Lower South Grape Creek School , please contact Darlene Stehle at 830-997-4720.

You’re welcome to explore the school grounds and surrounding property even when no official open house events are scheduled. These historic settings offer opportunities for leisurely walks, bird watching, geo-caching, and quiet reflection.

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 Lower South Grape Creek School, please contact Darlene Stehle at 830-997-4720, or submit a request through our Contact Us form. When using the form, select Lower South Grape Creek School from the dropdown menu and include your preferred date, time, and any additional details.

The first community club was organized in 1960, the same year the school consolidated with Fredericksburg Independent School District. Today, the club includes third and fourth generations of former students, families, and neighbors who continue to care for the school’s legacy. The club meets quarterly for socials, and the restored schoolhouse continues to serve the community as a gathering place for weddings, reunions, meetings, and other special activities.

In 1871, Luckenbach trustees voted to purchase 1⅓ acres on the west bank of South Grape Creek from Juliane Wehmeyer for $50. Until that time, the Lower South Grape Creek area had been part of the Luckenbach School District. Luckenbach Precinct #3 included Luckenbach, Grapetown, South Grape Creek, and Grape Hill until 1889.

Early settlers in the area included Peter Burg, Erasmus Frantzen, L. F. Toepperwein, Friedrich Scharnhorst, J. M. Hunter, John Blank, G. J. Weber, Ferdinand Gellermann, and William Feller. These families lived along South Grape Creek between Luckenbach and the Pedernales River.

The community’s first schoolhouse was a log cabin. Theodor Huelsemann taught there between 1875 and 1880. On May 12, 1889, the school on South Grape Creek was officially named Lower South Grape Creek School, District #21, because the Grapetown School had once been known as Upper South Grape Creek School.

As the community grew, the need arose for a better and more accessible school. In 1900, the trustees sold the original land and purchased one acre from Charles and Martha Ahrens for $5. This new site was less than 1½ miles north along Grape Creek, beside the Austin Highway.

The new one-room schoolhouse, built of cut limestone blocks, was completed in 1901. It had a tin roof, a bell tower on the east end, and a chimney on the west end. In later years, a large porch with a concrete slab was added.

Over time, the school received many modern improvements, including electricity, a new well and pump, drinking fountains on the porch, and modern restrooms that replaced the old outhouses.

School closing plays were an important tradition. In earlier years, they were held across the river on the Kusenberger place, where a wooden platform served as the stage. Later, performances were held at Weinheimer’s Hall and Luckenbach Hall, and eventually on the school’s large porch.

Classes continued at Lower South Grape Creek School until 1960. Due to low enrollment, the trustees voted to consolidate with Fredericksburg Independent School District.