George C. Clarke Elementary School

3300 S. Henderson - 1914; 1926; 1935; 1954; 1988; 2002

In 1914, architects Muller & Pollard designed four public schools for the Fort Worth Independent School District.  This school was named for George Carson Clarke, the developer of the Shaw-Clarke, Hubbard Heights, and Hemphill Heights subdivisions of the city.  He was also President of the FWISD Board from 1913 until 1916.  Bryce Building Co. was the contractor for the project which was originally constructed as an eight classroom school. The original building featured a slightly projecting central bay with an arched cornice and the name of the school above the third floor.  the overall style of the building and all of subsequent additions is an institutional version of Tudor Revival.  In 1926, a four classroom addition was constructed to the west of the original building.  This addition was designed by E.W. Van Slyke and was constructed by James T. Taylor.  In 1935, Van Slyke added a two story addition on the west side of the building and an auditorium on the east.  In 1937, the grounds were landscaped by Hare & Hare of Kansas City as a part of the W.P.A. program at Fort Worth public schools.  Very little of the original landscaping remains.  In 1954, another two story addition was made to the west and it was designed by Jim D. Vowell and was built by The Grimlands.  In 1988, a major one story addition was built to the north of the building, extending all the way north to Shaw Street.  From the beginning, this addition had structural problems with the foundation.  In 2002, an addition similar to the one on the north was constructed on the south side of the building.  After this addition opened, the one to the north was demolished due to its structural problems.