Football Stadium and Gymnasium - Somerville TX

City:: Somerville, TX
Site Type:: Education and Health, Parks and Recreation, Schools, Athletic Courts and Fields
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Completed:: 1940
Designer:: Travis Broesche
Quality of Information:: Very Good
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

From the city of Somerville website: “A native stone gymnasium and football stadium with seating and fence were built for the Somerville Independent School District by the WPA during the Depression and finished by 1939 [sic.].”

Text from the state historical marker at the stadium reads: “Emerging from the Great depression, the Somerville School Board partnered with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to build a football stadium. Known as ‘The Rock,’ the stadium was designed by Travis Broesche in the rustic style of architecture, using native stone and petrified wood. It was completed in 1940. A crew of around 100 local men transferred rock from the nearby Yegua Creek bottom and erected the stadium, most with little or no masonry experience. Events held at the stadium include football, baseball, powder-puff football, graduation ceremonies and local events for the community. The stadium is a unique reminder of the perseverance of a community during a time of hardship.”