High school gains spot in history

A dedication ceremony for a historical marker in front of the oldest school in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District was held in September.

The ceremony for the marker was held in front of DeWitt Perry Middle School, at 1709 Belt Line Road in Carrollton.

DeWitt Clinton Perry and his sister, Harriet Perry Warner, donated land for the original school in 1915. The first school, often referred to as “Old Red,” was a two-story building, with a basement. It was built with brick from the Carrollton Brick Company and opened on January 19, 1916.

Construction on a new Carrollton High School began in December 1935 and the school opened on Sept. 14, 1936.

Though “DeWitt Perry High School” was in stone over the entrance, it was always referred to as Carrollton High School, and diplomas were issued in that name.

The school became DeWitt Perry Junior High School in 1962, when Turner High School was opened. Later, after the school was renamed as a middle school, a new sign was placed in front of the old DeWitt Perry High School sign, which reads, “DeWitt Perry Middle School.”

Prior to 1916, students had attended an unpainted clapboard school at the corner of what is now Belt Line and Erie.

“Old Red” was razed in 1966 to make way for additions to DeWitt Perry Junior High and the Harriet Perry Warner Gymnasium. The original cornerstone for “Old Red” is adjacent to the marker site.

Carrollton Star - Dec 26, 2006