The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-15
THE GREGORY INSTITUTE.
II Was The Pioneer School House for
ColOred Children.
IT is TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY
BY Richard Allen, Trustee, and Devoted
to Educational Purposes--1istory
of the Institution.
IT is TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY

At the last meeting OF the Houston school
boar,l proposition was received from
Richard Allen looking TO the transfer Of
the site Of the old Gregory institute to the
school board to be used for the benefit Of
the Houston public schools. The matter
Of title is now being investigated, and L
Is probable that the board win he able to
dispose Of this realty. which is located at
the corner Of jefferson and Smith streets.
The funds derived will augment the one
already available for improvements and
additions to tue various colored schools OF
the city. The first suggestion In regard
TO the transfer was made by Mr.. James
Charlton of the city school board.
Richard Allen is the sole surviving trus-
tee of the Institution. which was the first
ochool in Texas and perhaps in the South
for colored children, and was therefore the
starting point for free school system
which has given to colored children the
same advantage enjoyed by the whites.
The Gregory institute being the pioneer
school house, makes its history Interesting
and especially so since even the site OF
the ancient building is to pass into other
hands md the proceeds be used for gen
nv invitation, Richard Allen. the sole
surviving trustee Of the property, called
on The Post yesterday, aud furnished
much interesting data concerning the his,
tory of the institute. Allen mas inquired
extensively In local politics and has held
many offices of trust under the government,
all Of which he has discharged creditably
md with a fidelity to duty which has not
always characterized public officials. Dur
ing the days of reconstruction Allen was
n member OF the provisional legislature.
and he also had seat in the Twelfth and
Thirteenth legislatures. He was superin-
tendent OF registration. storekeeper for the
government at this point deputy collector
Of the port Of Galveston and street COM
missioner OF Houston. He is getting along
rapidly in years. and Is anxious to see the
property Of which he is the only surviving
trustee pass into the hands Of the school
Allen has an excellent memory concern
Ing the history of the institute, hut he
does not trust TO memory alone for data
relating 10 the school. He has In his pos
session the minute book showing the va
rious moneys received and disbursed by
the trustees during the long wears In which
the institute was In existence. According
10 his showing, much money was constant
~ being expended for renairG, made neces-
sary by trespasSng and depredntlng OH the
property ON the part OF the colored people,
who in the first excuses Of their new
found freedom imagined that the property
belonged to them and not to the trustees.
At that time In the 't'"S history the
building stood In the middle Of an unpro
tected prairie There was no fund for
paving n ldulIot OF waterman. ana ilN
consequence was that the school building
was used as a sort of informal gathering
place for the race, and was subjected fire.
duontly to very rough usage. Then, too,
the great September storm OF 1915 badly
wrecked the building and necessitnted eN-
pensiye repairs. Aliens books show an
itemlzed account of all the moneys maid
ont by the bo-rd Of trustees. The books
also show that the trustees frequently OK
pended their own funds in repairs on the
building, and that not a dollar for the
money advanced or the labor performed
ever came hack to them. The book of the
treasurer shows that the city OF Houston
paying $50 month for II In scrip which
had market value in those days OF 80
cents on the dollar.
In the treasurer's books there is list
Of the citizens OF Houston who subscribed
the $3.50 with which the site was purchased
from Melissa Ammerman. This list Of sub
scrihers, which includes the names OF some
OF the-most Industrious citizens of Houston,
T. w House. $50; Ben Bolts, $50: II.
II Seaman. 500 4. Groesheeck $15, John
Kennedy SIS: B; A. Shepard. $50; A. h.
$50; John Shearn, SO; j, Frederick, 50;
James Masterson, $40; J. r.. Morris $40,
4 K iTayl99Ig6 s.; }; Fl Bachelor, 50, W.
Collins. $40; Dr. d. f. Stuart 50; J. D.
Whltelssey, IS; Judge j. II Manly. $40
Whep the bureau of refugees, freedmen
trustees transferred to the property to
the Federal government Allen succeeded
n having II specified in the conveyance
that the property should revert to the orig
inal trustees in case certain conditions
were brought about
The. deed by which the property was
transferred back TO the trustees reads as
follows:
Know all men by these presents. That l.
Brigadier General O. o. Howard o. s. A.
commissioner Of the bureau of refugees
freedmen and abandoned lands, for and on
behalf of the United States of America
party of the first part. by authority OF the
secretary of war, do hereby surrender md
transfer TO Richard Allan. Elias DlhhIe
Sandy Parker, William waff and Peter
Noble, trustees, party Of the second part
Ssubject to the conditions hereinafter stat
ed. the brick building, 32x55 feet, erected
FOR educational purposes by the bureau
or carried on the property returns Of the
sald bureau, on certain real estate situated
owned. by. said trustees and held by them
for school purposes and described as fol
lows, VIZ Beginning at the southwes. cor
ner OF the zimmerman fve-scre tract helng
the southeast corner OF Peter Gabel's TWEEN.
fy,acre mo. 36). running thence north with
said eiabels east line 1aS feet. thence east
20 feet TO the west line OF three acres
heretofore sold NJ. B. welborn; thence
south 1eS feet to the south line of said
tract; thence west 800 feet TO the begin
ming. This conveyance is made on the ex
press condition that the building aho 9
described or the proceeds Of the rental or
sale thereof, shall he perpetually devoted
40 educational purposes. and that pupils
shall never be excluded therefrom or from
the benehts arising from the rental or
SAFE seie tnere s,I; on account OF race or pre-
And the said Richard Allan. Elias Dlb
bic; Sandy Parker. William Wan and Peter
building on the conditions above stnted
and do guarantee the use thereof or of the
proceeds OF the rental or sale thereof for
the purposes stated In said conditions
In witness whereof the said party OF the
nrst part and second parts have hereunto