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Known for its farming and brick manufacturing, the town of Kennedale was not officially incorporated until 1947. However, the town's citizens recognized early the need for educational facilities for area families. To accommodate their need, the Kennedale Independent School District (ISD) was established around 1890. The first school was a two-story frame building located near the current Administration Building, with all students taught by one teacher. At that time, the academic year was only two months, suiting the needs of the agricultural community. Over the next twenty years, the area grew and so did the need for educational facilities. In 1913, the Kennedale ISD purchased this site for a new school. To reflect the town's brick manufacturing heritage, the new two-story building was constructed with brick. Althought the building had no running water or restroom facilities, the property included a large green space for gardening or outdoor activities. The second floor of the school featured movable walls to create an auditorium for school and community plays and events. In 1938, seeking federal assistance to expand the school campus, the school district applied for funding through the Works Progress Administration (WPA). While it is unknown if the school district was awarded federal funds to build new classrooms, oral history attributes the old rock wall to the WPA. The Kennedale ISD campus changed over the years, but the rock wall remains as a reminder of Tarrant County and Texas Depression-era structures. (2016) |
