How about a blast from the past? Here we stand before the Austin High School Rio Grande Campus Plaque a marker of time and transformation. Austin High School once stood proudly here from 1925 to 1975. But before that this very building was the John Allan Junior High School.
The building first opened its doors in 1911. John Allan made a significant contribution to Austin schools in the 1890s. The new building provided opportunities for both girls and boys. Special programs like manual training and domestic arts were offered here.
Let’s rewind a bit further to 1924. Austin High School was bursting at the seams at its original location. That location today is the site of the First Baptist Church. Back then it was considered the finest high school in the South. Yet it simply couldn’t contain the thousand students within its walls.
So during Thanksgiving break in 1925 a swap occurred. High school students and junior high students packed their belongings and traded campuses. The high school students moved here to 12th and Rio Grande. The junior high kids went to the old Austin High at 9th and Trinity. Educational leaders believed there was more room to expand here at the Rio Grande site. And expand they did. In 1924 and 1925 additional classrooms were added.
Austin High grew. A real gym was built in 1929 across West Avenue. In 1939 the Annex was added with 24 more classrooms on the north side. A new Band Hall appeared in 1939 too. To ensure student safety a tunnel was constructed under West Avenue. This allowed students to safely reach the Band Hall and Gym. House Park athletic fields were conveniently located just down the hill.
By 1951 Austin High’s population swelled to 3000. The Board of Education decided to build two more schools. A. N. McCallum High School and William B. Travis High School were built. The city was divided into three high school districts. Austin High’s population then dropped to around 1200 in 1953-54.
Parking became a major headache at the Rio Grande campus. Street parking was insufficient. The problem never improved. Though some renovations including air conditioning were added in 1967 the building aged.
To those who attended school here this was simply Austin High. But with other high schools in Austin the Board of Education renamed it Stephen F. Austin High School. This honored the man for whom the city was named.
By 1970 change was inevitable. The building was 45 years old. Parking was a nightmare. New science labs were needed. The cafeteria was too small. A decision was made to move. The new location needed to be near the city center. It would serve as the focal point of the city’s desegregation efforts. The site at 1715 West First Street was chosen. Construction began in 1973. The first day of school at the Lakeside Campus was August 25 1975.
Today the Rio Grande Campus is part of Austin Community College. ACC opened its second full-time campus here in 1975. It was initially called the Austin Campus. Later it was changed to ACC’s Rio Grande Campus. The histories of ACC and Austin High School first crossed paths in 1972. This was when ACC was founded under the Austin Independent School District. AISD leased some high school buildings to ACC for evening classes.
In August 2017 ACC broke ground on renovations and historical preservation. The Rio Grande Campus reopened in 2019. It became a home campus to ACC’s Deaf community. The campus also features an ACCelerator advanced classrooms and innovative labs.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett was a student here when it was Austin High School. He said it’s good that this great and historical facility will have new life breathed into it.
This plaque stands as a reminder of the many transformations this site has undergone. From junior high to Austin High to ACC. The Rio Grande Campus continues to serve the Austin community.