New Summerfield Public School

Public education in the Union Chapel community, which developed here at the junction of the old Tyler-Rusk and Jacksonville- Henderson roads, began in the 1850s. Early classes were held in the Union Chapel Church, an ecumenical worship facility and community center. A one-room schoolhouse was built in 1895, and after an U.S. post office was established in 1897 under the name Summerfield, the school name changed from Union Chapel School to Summerfield School. The post office closed in 1905. As new facilities were built, surrounding schools began to consolidate with the Summerfield School. A two-room structure built in 1906 was destroyed in a 1920 windstorm. It was replaced that year by a new brick building, the first brick structure in Summerfield. By 1929 the Summerfield Independent School District was formed. A new post office for the community was established in 1938. Because another Texas town was named Summerfield, this became New Summerfield. Throughout its history, the New Summerfield School has been the center of scholastic and social activities. It continues to serve as the focal point of the community.

New Summerfield Public School is a historical marker in New Summerfield, Cherokee County, dedicated in 1991. It is one of 112 historical markers documented in Cherokee County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 245 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.9823, -95.0952 near New Summerfield. The nearest cataloged historic site is New Summerfield Methodist Church (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Tennison, Dr.William Reuben, McDonald Cemetery, and McDonald Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5073006976. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.