Property

Oak Hill has always been about community and agriculture. The name was derived from the area’s heritage oak trees, some more than 200 years old, which can be seen here at Escuela today. Long before it became a vibrant part of Austin, this area was home to generations of farmers who worked the land to support their families. The local economy thrived on cattle ranching, fruit orchards, and vegetable farms, forming the foundation for the town’s identity. Today, we honor their legacy by serving food inspired by the same dedication to local, sustainable farming that shaped this community for over a century. 

history

At the center of that early community was education. The first local school dates to the late 1800s in an old log cabin, but Oak Hill Elementary School was the first formal schoolhouse that opened in 1923. The land was donated by James Andrew Patton who had a passion for education and sat on the Board of School Trustees for about 40 years. He lived in the neighboring house to the elementary school, which can still be seen on our property today! The old, three room, limestone schoolhouse was surrounded by open pasture and the livestock often shared the road with the school buses. The teacher staff would have to shoo the chickens and goats off the road to make way for the school buses. Oak Hill Elementary population began to expand throughout the years, and so did the schoolhouse with additions of rooms made in 1933 and 1954. Today, you can still see the three different types of limestone used to construct the schoolhouse rooms throughout the years.

As Oak Hill Elementary School prepared to move into their new building in 1974, an article was published which read, “We hope that the old building will be preserved and used in some way so that we may keep it as one of our many historical landmarks.” We are so honored to be able to tell the story of Oak Hill and this old schoolhouse through every dish, every beverage, and experience our guests have here. Our inspiration and vision for Escuela is deeply rooted in this legacy of education, farming, and true Texas history.