Blackshear Elementary in East Austin marks 135 years, tracing roots to Gregory Town’s segregated school era

A campus anniversary tied to Austin’s changing education landscape

Blackshear Elementary School, located at 1712 E. 11th St., is marking its 135th year as a public school serving East Austin. The milestone is scheduled to be recognized with a community celebration on Feb. 13, 2026, with activities planned on campus in the early evening.

Founded in 1891, the school’s longevity places it among Austin’s oldest operating campuses. Its history is closely linked to Gregory Town, a freedom colony community in what was long a segregated part of the city, where public education was organized separately for Black students. Over the decades, the campus has undergone multiple expansions and building changes while remaining in continuous operation as neighborhood demographics and district policy shifted.

From “School No. 3” to a campus named for an educator

In its earliest years, Blackshear began as a one-room school established to provide public education for Black children in Gregory Town. It was known by several names in its first decades, including School No. 3 and Gregory Town School, before it was renamed in 1936 for Edward L. Blackshear, a Texas educator associated with Black education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Facility growth tracked enrollment and community needs. Historical accounts of the campus describe a move from the original structure to a larger multi-room building in the early 1900s, followed by additional classroom wings and later updates through the mid-20th century and into the early 2000s.

Fine arts as a defining program for today’s students

In recent years, Blackshear’s identity has been shaped by its district-designated fine arts model. Austin ISD has described Blackshear as its first elementary campus devoted to expanded fine arts programming. The program includes recurring instruction in areas such as music, dance and theatre alongside core academics, with students participating in arts learning during the school week.

The school has also been recognized nationally for academic performance: Blackshear was named a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, a designation that is awarded to select schools for overall achievement or progress in closing achievement gaps.

Why 135 years matters for East Austin

Education historians and local researchers have noted that it is uncommon for a school with roots in a freedom colony community to remain open across the long arc of segregation, consolidation and desegregation-era policy changes. In Austin, Blackshear’s continued operation offers a case study in how a campus can shift from a segregated origin to a modern public school serving a more diverse enrollment while maintaining a strong neighborhood identity.

• Founded: 1891
• Location: 1712 E. 11th St., Austin
• Anniversary event date: Feb. 13, 2026
• Program focus: district fine arts academy model with weekly arts instruction

Blackshear’s anniversary arrives as Austin continues debating how to preserve historic community institutions while modernizing campuses and programs across a fast-changing city.