Western Travel - Dallas Heritage Village (Part Three) - Dallas,Texas - #TravelTuesday

Welcome back to our tour around the Dallas Heritage Village in downtown Dallas, Texas. Last week we stopped at the Gano's homestead, blacksmith, and farm in the very back of the park. Today we'll wander toward the Pilot Grove Church and Renner School. Next week we'll check out some of the more elaborate homes (the Sullivan and Blum houses).

Pilot Grove Church:
This Gothic Revival Methodist church was built in the 1890s by members of the Pilot Grove congregation. Their resident preacher, "Rev Owenby", gave sermons until his death in the 1930s. By that time, the town of Pilot Grove had started dwindling and even the post office closed for business. Thankfully this church and its original pews inside were saved and relocated to the village.

Interesting view under the church:

Organ:

Piano:

Hanging Kerosene Lamp:


Right next door to the church is the...
Renner School:
In 1887, the town of Renner, Texas came to life in southwest Collin County, named after a railroad engineer named John A Renner who worked for the Cotton Belt Line railroad. The next year several buildings went up in the town - post office, a store, and the Renner School. The Renner School had two stories. A wood-fired stove (in the center of the lower floor) provided heat.
  
When you enter the school, you immediately face the hangers for lunch pails:
     
Inside, you can see the stove in the center and the children's desks:
  
And of course, the ubiquitous McGuffey's Reader:


For more information, please check out the DallasHeritageVillage.org
Cool video on the restoration of the Pilot Grove Church can be found here: VIMEO.com
Information about Pilot Grove, Texas can be found on the Texas State Historical Assoc website: TSHAOnline.org
Learn more about the community of Renner here: CollinCountyHistory.com