De Zavala Elementary School is a two-story structure with a raised basement. It is rectangular in plan with a flat roof. Its composition is a masonry block with yellow brick walls and cast stone trim. It is an extremely handsome classical design whose main element is a central engaged colonnade consisting of paired giant order Tuscan columns rising from the first floor level to the projecting cornice. Small pedimented entrances are set in the high base beneath the columns. The structure was built in 1914 as an enlargement to the original school erected in 1905. The latter was razed and replaced by the existing north wing in 1957-58. The ceilings in the classrooms of the old building have been lowered and the exterior fenestration changed accordingly. The school was named for Lorenzo de Zavala, the first vice president of the Republic of Texas. With further documentation, particularly the identity of the architect, and with restoration, the building would be eligible for the National Register. De Zavala Elementary School is a contributing resource in the Fairmount-Southside Historic District (local and national). It has received several additions since originally documented. The lower photo was taken in 2000.
