M A R Y ~ A L L E N ~ C O L L E G E
The ruins of Mary Allen College, consisting primarily of the main administration building and a few supporting structures, are located just north of downtown Crockett, Texas on 4th Street or US 287. We discovered it while driving back from a funeral in Port Arthur, Texas, in December 2006 - can you say Janis, baby?
Mary Allen College was founded in 1886 as a two year seminary for black women by the Presbyterian Board of Missions for Freedmen. It eventually grew into a coeducational junior college. Declining enrollment during the second world war led to the sale of the college to the General Baptist Convention of Texas. The administration building was heavily damaged by hurricane Carla in 1962. Low enrollment, scandals, and deteriorating infrastructure led to the closure of the college and the sale of its assets to the Stowe Lumber Company in 1978.
Photosgraphs taken with a Canon S-200.
