{"nrhp_refnum":"12001181","name":"Washington School","other_names":["Washington High School","Washington Middle School"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"318 N. North St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Washington Court House","county":"Fayette County","state":"OH","lat":39.540071253000065,"lon":-83.43943236999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2013-01-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Washington School is a school complex at 318 N. North Street in Washington Court House, Fayette County, Ohio. The original Beaux Arts building was built in 1913 and designed by Howard & Merriam, with additions made in 1938 and 1961.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the 1913 building was the first school in the city and county built in the ornamental Beaux Arts style, and it served as the only high school and a center of community educational activity. It was built of non-combustible materials in response to national school fire-safety reforms. The 1938 additions, funded by federal emergency administration money, expanded it for growing enrollment.","narrative":"Washington School is a large brick and stone school on North Street, two blocks from downtown Washington Court House, Ohio. Built in 1913 to designs by Howard & Merriam of Columbus, with H. Karg as builder, it first housed the junior and senior high school. The buff brick building has a symmetrical main facade, stone trim, a carved arched entry, and pilasters with capitals that mix classical and Arts and Crafts motifs. It sits on a raised lawn with cast iron lampposts added in the years after construction. The nomination points to its role as the first Beaux Arts school in the city and county, and to its fireproof concrete and masonry construction with multiple exit stairs, a response to the 1908 Collinwood school fire. In 1938 an auditorium, gymnasium and garage were added with federal funding, and a further addition followed in 1961. The school served as the center of educational activity for the community.","period_of_significance":"1913-1961","architect_builder":"Howard & Merriam, Architects (Columbus, OH); H. Karg, Builder; Thomas D. McLaughlin & Associates (Lima, OH)","architectural_style":"Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Beaux Arts Classicism; Modern Movements: Art Deco","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Current function listed as education, with work in progress noted on the form.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:06.927297-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/12001181.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12001181/e3e3f138d0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12001181/e3e3f138d0-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_Middle_School,_WCH.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_Middle_School,_WCH.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988281","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q137803416"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/fayette-county/washington-school-12001181/"}