Story and photos by Steve Nash / Special Contributor to BrownwoodNews.com

“You have literally stepped into history.”

Draco Miller spoke those words to a first-time visitor at the empty rock building that once housed the R.F. Hardin school.

Known as the Brownwood Colored High School when it first opened in 1918, the segregation-era school went on to become R.F. Hardin High School and later the R.F. Hardin Elementary School. The Brownwood ISD closed the school in 1966 in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Head Start used the building from 1966 to 1975. GED classes and other activities were held in the building through the 1980s.

Miller, a Brownwood City Council member and president of ROC (Revitalizing Our Community), and Hank Hunter, president of the Rufus Hardin Heritage Center Board of Directors, gave an overview of a renewed effort to restore and preserve the building, located at 1009 Hall St. It is across the street from the Bennie Houston Community Center.

The goal is to transform the building to include exhibits and artifacts to tell the school’s rich history.

That, of course, will take money.

Funds raised in past years were spent between 2009 and 2015 to stabilize the stone structure. Hunter announced a new fundraising campaign called “Let There Be Light,” with an initial goal of raising $100,000 to rebuild the old windows, recreate the original exterior doors and provide for a new insulated roof.

Hunter said restoration costs for the stone structure will hopefully be finalized with contractors over the next couple of months.

“I have a total cost estimate in mind, but do not want to say what that will be yet,” Hunter said. “I will say that I believe the amount is still much less than originally thought. The building has to be completely re-plumbed and re-wired. There’s still quite a bit of (wall) framing to do, plus the plaster repair that needs to be done. And then, of course, you’ve got to put a hardwood floor down and install the ceiling. After those tasks are finished, everything has to be painted. We are a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. So, your donations are tax deductible.”

Donations can be made to the Rufus F. Hardin Museum Inc. at the Citizens National Bank. Donations can also be mailed to the Rufus Hardin Heritage Center, P.O. Box 12, Brownwood, Texas 76804.

The Rufus F. Hardin Heritage Center mission is “To preserve the Rufus F. Hardin African American School in Brownwood, Texas. Interpret and share the rich history, culture, and experiences of African Americans through exhibitions, educational programs, and community engagement, aiming to foster understanding and appreciation of the African American narrative across generations.”

“There is so much history that happened here,” Hunter said. “The reason it’s here is not good because segregation was not right. But what happened in here during those years was a whole lot of good, a whole lot of care and love.”

Miller joined the conversation and explained that while he’s not involved with the Hardin school in an official capacity, he is very interested in seeing the project completed.

“We are here to breathe life into a lifeless building that lived for decades and decades and decades,” Miller said. “We are here to finally revitalize the R.F. Hardin school that started off as the high school and then an elementary school, and then essentially a community center with Head Start.

“We’re here to finally bring to pass the vision of so many previous people that brought in blood, sweat, and tears for this building. We’re here to bring this building to life and in doing so we’re here to ask the community for help — help in telling the story of R.F. Hardin. There will be a capital campaign to finally, finally, finally, get R.F. Hardin to the finish line.”

Referring to Hunter, Miller said, “For as long as I can recall, Hank has either been involved or spearheaded, with blood, sweat, and tears, the passion for Hardin School to see its revitalization. I don’t know how many board members there have been, but Hank has been the mainstay. If it were not for Hank we wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation. It would be torn down.”

Hunter said restoring the building has been a dream of the school’s alumni since the mid-1990’s.

“It’s an unrealized dream,” Hunter said. “But it’s still a dream that needs to be fulfilled in this community.”

Hunter said he’s long had an appreciation for historic preservation.

“So it initially caught my attention as a preservation project to restore an old building that looked cool,” Hunter said. “And then as I got involved and met the alumni that were dreaming the dream, it just started meaning so much more to me over time.”

Hunter has a big vision for what the Rufus F. Hardin Heritage Center can become, including:

• Reconstructed auditorium space for functions including meals and learning sessions

• Interactive historical displays and recordings of oral history

• A timeline dating from the first known instances of African American education in Brown County

• Photos and newsreels

• Reconstructed stage

Noting that this has been a longtime dream and community project, Miller added, “The community wants it, the city wants it, everybody wants it.”

Hunter said the Hardin board of directors will soon announce a day and time for the community to tour the school, view one of the old windows which has recently undergone restoration, and hear more about restoration plans.

People can follow the new Facebook page, Rufus Hardin Heritage Center, for more upcoming information.

Also, if anyone has a personal memory or story to share about Hardin school, Hardin School memorabilia like report cards or diplomas, or pictures, a story to share, email heritage@rufushardin.org.