Westphalia Little School

Plans for the establishment of a school to serve the German Catholic community of Westphalia began soon after the earliest settlers arrived here in 1879. Under the direction of the first trustees, Anton Jansing, Joseph Hoelscher,and Stanislaus Rollewitz, the school was set up to provide parochial and public instruction. The Westphalia Little School opened in 1884. Early teachers were J. H. Pels; Professor A. Kechoff; Brother Stefan Geiser, CPPS; George Laloumoudiere; G. Horst Daniel; Joseph Henke; and Tim Sullivan. The building was originally constructed as the Church of Visitation. After being heavily damaged by storms, it was remodeled in 1893 for use as the community schoolhouse. In 1899 the Sisters of Divine Providence from Our Lady of the Lake Covent in San Antonio began teaching in the school. Although the parochial program ended in 1935, the Sisters have continued to serve in the public school. Since 1884 Westphalia Little School has continued to offer area residents a quality educational program based on a cooperative effort between public and parochial instruction.

Westphalia Little School is a historical marker in Westphalia, Falls County, dedicated in 1982. It is one of 64 historical markers documented in Falls County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 70 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.1231, -97.1166 near Westphalia. The nearest cataloged historic site is St. Mary's Cemetery (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Church of the Visitation, Frank and Julia Bockholt Home, and Barclay Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5145005772. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.