Decatur Schools
Decatur School No. 1
Maxwell Creek Road
Murphy, Texas
There were schools in Murphy from the earliest settlers; however, they were not documented until after the Civil War. As was often the case, the first schools were held in homes or in churches and their history not documented.
The Decatur School was perhaps the first school in what is now considered the city of Murphy, Texas. The first Decatur School was located west of Maxwell Creek between the log cabins of Henry Maxwell and William Sachse. According to Bev Zavitz, it is possible this school was held in the log building called Maxwell’s Meeting House. Dorothy Murphy King, the daughter of Dorothy and William Murphy, attended this school from 1868-1878.
Decatur School No. 2
FM 544 and Maxwell Creek Road
Murphy, Texas
The (first) school was followed by another Decatur School located on Maxwell Creek Road and FM 544. The second Decatur School building was on an acre of state school land purchased in 1885. It was adjacent to the Decatur Church of Christ or Christian Church which were one denomination until 1906. Help from Collin McKinney, Rev. J.B. Faulkner, and other lay preachers and members built the Christian Church.
The church and school shared a well which was the boundary line between the two. The school was box-shaped with unpainted vertical wooden boards. Nelle King Turney, daughter of Dr. William King and Dorothy Murphy King and grand-daughter of William and Dorothy Murphy attended the Decatur School in 1894 and is unidentified in the photo of the school. She paid tuition at the school until she became school age. The school days were long from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM; however, the terms were four to six months. The Decatur School closed when the first school built on Murphy Road opened in early 1900. One of the first teachers in the school was Tom Hogge. The date on the school photo is 1894.
Maxwell Creek Road
Murphy, Texas
There were schools in Murphy from the earliest settlers; however, they were not documented until after the Civil War. As was often the case, the first schools were held in homes or in churches and their history not documented.
The Decatur School was perhaps the first school in what is now considered the city of Murphy, Texas. The first Decatur School was located west of Maxwell Creek between the log cabins of Henry Maxwell and William Sachse. According to Bev Zavitz, it is possible this school was held in the log building called Maxwell’s Meeting House. Dorothy Murphy King, the daughter of Dorothy and William Murphy, attended this school from 1868-1878.
Decatur School No. 2
FM 544 and Maxwell Creek Road
Murphy, Texas
The (first) school was followed by another Decatur School located on Maxwell Creek Road and FM 544. The second Decatur School building was on an acre of state school land purchased in 1885. It was adjacent to the Decatur Church of Christ or Christian Church which were one denomination until 1906. Help from Collin McKinney, Rev. J.B. Faulkner, and other lay preachers and members built the Christian Church.
The church and school shared a well which was the boundary line between the two. The school was box-shaped with unpainted vertical wooden boards. Nelle King Turney, daughter of Dr. William King and Dorothy Murphy King and grand-daughter of William and Dorothy Murphy attended the Decatur School in 1894 and is unidentified in the photo of the school. She paid tuition at the school until she became school age. The school days were long from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM; however, the terms were four to six months. The Decatur School closed when the first school built on Murphy Road opened in early 1900. One of the first teachers in the school was Tom Hogge. The date on the school photo is 1894.
