{"nrhp_refnum":"85000632","name":"Edwards Gymnasium/Pfieffer Natatorium","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"OWU Main Campus, S. Sandusky St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Delaware","county":"Delaware County","state":"OH","lat":40.29469416000006,"lon":-83.06752340999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-03-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A gymnasium building on the main campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, built in 1905-06 and designed by J. W. Yost, with a natatorium addition added in the 1950s.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building meets Criteria A, B and C. It was the first significant athletic facility on the campus and marked a new emphasis on organized physical education. It is also tied to Branch Rickey, the first Director of Athletics in the building (1906-09), and represents the work of architect J. W. Yost.","narrative":"Edwards Gymnasium is a brick and stone athletic building on the main campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. Built in 1905-06 for about $80,000, it was named for alumnus John Edwards, and funding came from his wife and sons along with other alumni and friends. J. W. Yost, who also designed University Hall, was the architect, and Feick & Son of Sandusky built it. The rectangular building has a gray stone base, pressed brick walls, a red tile roof, gable dormers and a carved stone entry. Inside were a gymnasium, a swimming pool, handball courts, locker rooms and an indoor running track. It was the first major athletic facility on campus and signaled a growing role for organized physical education. Branch Rickey, a 1904 graduate, served as the first Director of Athletics here from 1906 to 1909. A two-story natatorium was added at the rear in the 1950s, and the building still serves as offices, classrooms and a gym.","period_of_significance":"1905-1906","architect_builder":"J. W. Yost (architect, Columbus and New York); Feick & Son of Sandusky, Ohio (builder)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Listed in good interior and excellent exterior condition; in use as offices, classrooms and gymnasium. The building is essentially unchanged apart from the 1950s natatorium addition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.504792-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/85000632.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000632/de1a74e801-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000632/de1a74e801-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Christopher L. Riley","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edwards_Gymnasium_%E2%80%94_Delaware,_Ohio.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Christopher L. Riley</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edwards_Gymnasium_%E2%80%94_Delaware,_Ohio.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71984761","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwards_Gymnasium_and_Pfeiffer_Natatorium","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5346101"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/delaware-county/edwards-gymnasium-pfieffer-natatorium-85000632/"}