Completed in 1909, the site and funds for the construction of the H.M. King (1832-1925), the widow of the King Ranch’s founder, Captain Richard King. The school originally housed all grade levels of the Kingsville school system. King's great granddaughter, Mrs. Helen Kleberg Groves, "Without the foresight, generosity, and tenacity of Mrs. King, the Ranch, the town, the university, and this buildin
g would not exist as they do today. "
The H. M. King School is a two-story mission-revival building, based upon three of South Texas’ famous churches. The South tower is based on the Mission Concepcion; the North tower on the Mission San Jose y San Miguel; and the central portion, capped by an elaborate gable end, pays homage to the Alamo. The rest of the front facade has arches over the windows and a tile roof with dormers ornamented like the central gable end. The building presents its front to Third Street, looking up Kleberg Avenue towards the historic commercial downtown and the Kleberg County Courthouse. The North and South building sides also have arches over the windows. After a fire in 1925, an addition was constructed of matching brick and rectangular windows. The entire structure was re-roofed with terra-cotta tiles. The building remained in use as the high school until 1964, when the new high school was built on South Brahma Boulevard. Since then, little has changed about the school. The building was then used as a junior high school and for adult education until the 1980's. After that, the historic facility was abandoned and neglected. What was once known as the educational pride of Kingsville suffered serious deterioration and posed safety concerns. The Old H.M. King High School building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1981. King School stands as a major architectural jewel of the City of Kingsville and an important example of the mission-revival style in the Coastal Bend of Texas.
