“We’ve got spirit! Yes, we do! We’ve got spirit! How about you?” This age-old cheer has been used to generate excitement in stadiums and on sports fields around the country since the early 1900s. School spirit runs deep in the heart of Abilene. Whether you’re a proud eagle, cougar, bulldog or affiliated with one of our other local schools, The Grace Museum’s newest history exhibits will have you cheering for the home team.
We’ve Got Spirit: School Pride will highlight the swag students often wear and use to show their school pride. Esteemed items such as the letter jacket, cheerleading uniform, sports jersey, football helmet and megaphone will all be on view in recognition of our beloved Abilene-area junior highs, high schools, colleges and universities. Visitors will also have the chance to share their favorite school memories and photographs as they interact with the exhibit.
Beginnings: Early History of Abilene High School and Lincoln Middle School will feature the significant history of an iconic local landmark where many of our family members, friends and neighbors spent years in the classroom. The building’s grand facade faces north beside the railroad tracks at the intersection of South 1st and Grape Street. Although many people still refer to it as the “old Abilene High,” this was not actually the original AHS.
The very first high school in Abilene was built in 1889 on the same lot at South 1st and Peach Street, constructed to stand out on the major thoroughfare of a growing city. Twenty years later, another building was erected in its place. A major economic and population boom just a decade afterward tripled school enrollment, creating the need for an even larger high school. It was at that point in 1923 that the structure we know and love was built. The first senior class graduated from there in 1924 and the school operated as Abilene High School until 1955, when the current campus was constructed at North 6th and Mockingbird. It then became Lincoln Junior High, and later Lincoln Middle School, until its closure in 2007.
The Grace’s Beginnings exhibition will pay tribute to this historic landmark, telling the story of the site’s foundational history to Abilene and highlighting photographs, architectural drawings, archives and objects from community lenders and the museum’s permanent collection.
If you have driven by the site in recent months, you have probably seen work crews preparing the building for its next life. In spring 2026, Abilene Heritage Square will open as a new, multipurpose venue that includes the Abilene Public Library Main Branch, Stone Owl Institute, and rentable spaces for community events. In addition, the Spark Science Center will debut as a new, interactive extension of The Grace Museum, focusing on STEAM education. This place which has served as a community learning hub for the past century and a half will once again be filled with the energy of eager visitors – a fitting continuation of its story.
We’ve Got Spirit and Beginnings will open for viewing at The Grace on August 23, 2025. To celebrate in true school fashion, the museum will host a fun (FREE!) throwback prom party for the public on Thursday, August 28 from 5pm to 8pm. So, break out those vintage prom dresses and tuxes and get ready to party at The Grace!
Contributed By The Grace Museum
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