CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For more than two decades, the old Charles W. Crossley Elementary School has stood as a boarded-up reminder of the past in Corpus Christi’s Northside community.
The campus, which first opened in 1926, was originally built to serve elementary and middle school students before focusing on grades one through six. As the Hillcrest and Washington-Coles neighborhoods grew into a predominantly African American community during the 1900s, Crossley became one of the few schools to serve students of color.
“I see a once beautiful school , just into shambles," former student, Deanna King, said as she stood in front of the building on Koepke Street.
King said she remembers the joy of being a student there with several teachers making an impact on her future. She reminisces on the school hosting student spelling bees, dance performances, other activities.
“Everything I learned here, it gave us a foundation of how to live life and how to serve others,” King added.
Crossley closed in 2001 due to declining enrollment. Since then, the building has fallen into disrepair.
A 2013 fire caused significant damage, followed by another fire incident in 2022 that left the structure heavily burned and unsafe.
Today, the property sits surrounded by empty lots and what's left of the Hillcrest-Washington Coles community.
Nueces County records show the property is owned by Tabernacle of Praise Church. Pastor Freddy Naranjo purchased the building in 2012 with plans to transform it into a community outreach center. But rising costs forced those plans to a halt.
Naranjo told KRIS 6 News he is now seeking an investor to help cover expensive demolition costs. The city has issued a 45-day notice requiring demolition or sale of the site.
For neighbors like King, the building represents more than bricks and walls.
"A lot of memories went on in this school,” King said. “I'd like the building to turn into something positive, maybe a library or community center or something like that.”
For now, the building’s future remains uncertain, and neighbors are left waiting to see what comes next.
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