{"nrhp_refnum":"82002175","name":"Coalinga Polk Street School","other_names":["Old Polk Street School"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"S. 5th and E. Polk Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Coalinga","county":"Fresno County","state":"CA","lat":36.13626649200006,"lon":-120.35501911899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-05-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Classical Revival public schoolhouse at South 5th and East Polk Streets in Coalinga, Fresno County, California, built in 1908 by a general contractor named Robertson and first occupied as a school in early 1909.","why_significant":"It was the first permanent, multiple-room school in western Fresno County, replacing the area's one-room country schools. It is also a handsome example of Classical Revival public architecture. From 1908 to 1980 it served Coalinga as a school and later as a community recreation center.","narrative":"Built in 1908 at South 5th and East Polk Streets in Coalinga, this Classical Revival schoolhouse was the first permanent, multiple-room school in western Fresno County. It followed the 1906 incorporation of the city, which grew rapidly after oil strikes, and replaced the one-room rural schools that had served the area. The building has a symmetrical plan, a pedimented front portico with four Corinthian columns, Doric pilasters, and a bell tower that recalls small rural schoolhouses. It is framed largely in redwood and remains largely intact, though the original wood shingle roof was replaced with composition shingle. Classes ran through 1942, and the building also served as an emergency hospital during the 1917-1918 flu epidemic. The local recreation district then used it for youth groups, art and lapidary clubs, and a creative arts center until 1980. When demolition was proposed, community members organized to save it, and it was sold in 1981 with a deed restriction against removal or demolition.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Builder: general contractor named Robertson; architect unknown","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Form lists the property as vacant and unoccupied, with work in progress; it was sold in 1981 with a deed restriction against demolition, and exterior renovation was planned for 1982.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.717172-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/82002175.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858638","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/fresno-county/coalinga-polk-street-school-82002175/"}