The Boy & Girls Club of Hopkins County is no longer operating. An organization that once held a membership of over 100 serving 40-50 daily was forced to close its doors.
Not only were the doors closed but the whole building, known as Houston Elementary School on College Street in Sulphur Springs, is just a pile of bricks. Demolition began on March 11, 2015.
“There was lots of history in that building,” said Boys & Girls Club Board President Charles Dawson. “It is a shame it isn’t operating.”
The roof fell in and the insurance company did not cover that expense putting the Club out of business.
“We are in limbo until we can come up with a plan,” said Club President Dawson. “We are looking into grant funding.”
It began as an elementary school serving students starting 1938 for Sulphur Springs Independent School district until the Spring of 1999. It was used for the District’s alternative classroom for one year.
In 2001, Hopkins County leased the building for the next five years for the County Clerk’s office. The Boys & Girls Club of Hopkins County purchased the building from SSISD in 2007 until the final days of operation in 2014.