{"nrhp_refnum":"75000656","name":"Lemont Central Grade School","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"410 McCarthy Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lemont","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.67259769800006,"lon":-87.99725304199995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-03-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-part limestone grade school at 410 McCarthy Road, Lemont, Cook County, Illinois. The rear section with two stories and a basement was built in 1869, and a three-story front annex was added in 1896.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of the oldest continuously used grade schools in Illinois. It is built of local Lemont dolomite limestone, which ties it to the town's quarry industry and labor history. It is also linked to local political and civic leaders named on the 1896 cornerstone, and it shows two eras of masonry and style side by side.","narrative":"Perched on a hill above downtown Lemont, this limestone school was built in two stages. The rear section, with two stories and a basement, dates from 1869 and has simple lines and rounded Roman arches over its windows and doors. In 1896 a three-story front annex designed by architect John Barnes was added, with finely cut blocks, late Victorian styling and an 80-foot clock tower. Both parts use local Lemont dolomite limestone, the same stone quarried for landmarks such as the Chicago Water Tower. The quarries drew immigrant workers and shaped the town's labor history. The school is described as one of the oldest continuously used grade schools in Illinois, serving students until use was prohibited in 1974 over fire safety code issues. Names on the 1896 cornerstone link it to local leaders, including Mayor John McCarthy, for whom the road is named. Local supporters sought recognition to help save and restore it.","period_of_significance":"1869-1896 to present","architect_builder":"1869 section: architect and contractor unknown; 1896 annex: architect John Barnes, contractor C. Molloy","architectural_style":"1869 section simple design with Roman arched openings; 1896 annex European or late Victorian lines","criteria":[],"status_note":"Marked vacant on the form; use was prohibited by the Cook County Superintendent of Schools in July 1974 until Life Safety Codes were met. Condition listed as good and altered.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.388254-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/62/8923/28892362/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/75000656.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75000656/1e0693f2fe-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75000656/1e0693f2fe-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Teemu08 (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lemont_Central_Grade_School.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Teemu08 (talk)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lemont_Central_Grade_School.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892362","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemont_Central_Grade_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q96373149"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/lemont-central-grade-school-75000656/"}