Castleberry School

1898-1946

            The Castleberry School District , located five miles west of the City of Fort Worth , is a densely populated community embracing an area of approximately 8.1 square miles.  During the past decade it has undergone an era of expansion unequal to any other rural school district of its class in Tarrant County or in the State.

            If the patrons of this school district today could turn back the pages of history to the year 1898, they would find a one-room building marking the partial site where the present school now stands.  It was in 1898 that Ike Ventioner donated a plot of ground on which a school was erected known as Marine School No. 3 in 1902.  Due to an increase in scholastics, another room was added to the one-room structure.  This school was then known as the Rosen Heights School No. 2 and served the community until the year 1919.

             To replace the one-room frame structure, a three-room red brick building was constructed in 1919 on the 1 acre tract of land owned by the school district.  This building marked the real beginning of what was known as the Castleberry School since it was this structure that was named in honor of Uncle Zack and Aunt Fanny Castleberry who furnished water from their well for school purposes.

            With the beginning of 1931, the influx of home seekers and home builders in the Castleberry School District began.  To provide necessary classroom space, another room was added to the three-room brick structure.  In 1934, a two-room frame building was constructed and in 1936, a one-room frame structure was built.  In 1937, a bond issue for $13,000.00 was voted by the School District to match a grant made by the Federal Government through the WPA Office and the main building comprising eight rooms and an auditorium was constructed.

            Then in 1941 came the war and with it the immense U.S. Consolidated Aircraft Plant.  Since it was located within the vicinity of the school district, more housing projects were scheduled to be built in the Castleberry Community.  An application was filed with the Federal Government for school aid which was granted in the form of four additional rooms to the main building.  As the building program continued it was necessary that more land be acquired by the school.  In 1941 the Board of Trustees secured 12 acres from the City of Fort Worth and in 1942 an acre was purchased from the Trinity Methodist Church .

            In 1943, an eight-room tile and concrete building was completed.  This structure was financed with a bond issue of $25,000.00 and a Federal grant of $42,500.00.  Additional classrooms, office space and cafeteria facilities were added to the main building in 1945.  At the present time, a $40,000.00 building program is pending and more classrooms and toilet facilities will be constructed soon.

          The beautification of the grounds has kept pace with the building program of the school.  Beautiful shrubbery, well sodded lawns, and shade trees are a part of the program for ground improvements.  A playground consisting of soft ball diamonds, volley ball courts, swings, see-saws and climbing bars, has been provided during the past years.

            The school is permanently standardized with 100 per cent score; it ranks with the best elementary schools in the State; its work is recognized by any city’s school system; and it has a record of sending well equipped students to the neighboring High Schools.  The teachers are qualified, conscientious, and diligent; the trustees are careful conservative, and dependable; and, the students are attentive, studious, and well behaved.  All in all the Castleberry School is a good school located in the midst of a progressive city, beautiful churches, and the best of people.

rwb

 QUESTION

River Oaks (formerly Castleberry), has an area where all of the streets have college names. A 1938 map shows them, so they had to be named some time before that time.  Anyone with answers please email at;  riveroakshistory@yahoo.com