{"nrhp_refnum":"03000325","name":"Springfield Township School","other_names":["Springfield Local High School","Ontario High School","Ontario Middle School"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3560 Park Ave. W","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ontario","county":"Richland County","state":"OH","lat":40.76085354800006,"lon":-82.64243826699999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2003-04-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick consolidated school building constructed in 1929 on Park Avenue West in Ontario, Richland County, Ohio, with later additions and a separate Farm Shop Building.","why_significant":"It is significant under Criterion A for its role in the educational history of Ontario, Springfield Township and Richland County as a rural consolidated school with high school, gymnasium, assembly and vocational facilities. It was the largest and most costly rural school in the county when built. The ca. 1937 Farm Shop Building and 1941 connector were National Youth Administration work projects.","narrative":"Built in 1929 on Park Avenue West in Ontario, Ohio, Springfield Township School is a three-story red brick building with a symmetrical facade, a two-story arched entrance and restrained Second Renaissance Revival detailing. It replaced one-room schoolhouses as a consolidated school housing grades 1-12, with a gymnasium, assembly space and vocational facilities. It was the largest and most costly rural school in Richland County when constructed. Additions in 1949 and 1952 expanded the building as the community grew, and they respected the original symmetry and materials. A small Farm Shop Building, built around 1937 and connected in 1941, was a National Youth Administration work project that employed local out-of-school youth. Later changes, including a cafeteria addition and a bricked-in entry, were removed in 2002, revealing original materials and windows. The school was listed for its role in local education and community life, and it remains a prominent landmark in a formerly rural area. The building is now vacant.","period_of_significance":"1928 - 1952","architect_builder":"Architects: Fred J. Porter and D. Roy Virtue, Columbus (1929); Fred Fornoff, Columbus (ca. 1937); Charles J. Marr (Marr, Knapp & Crawfis), Mansfield (1949-1952). Builders: Lorenzo D. Hetrick, Columbus (1929); National Youth Administration for Ohio (ca. 1937); The Jacob Wolf Co., Mansfield (1952)","architectural_style":"Second Renaissance Revival","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Described as in very good condition and well maintained; occupied by Ontario Middle School through the 2001 school year and presently vacant. Later intrusive additions were removed in 2002.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:07.240466-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/03000325.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991150","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/richland-county/springfield-township-school-03000325/"}