{"nrhp_refnum":"99001502","name":"Clarendon School","other_names":["Matthew Maury Elementary School","Arlington Arts Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3550 Wilson Bvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Arlington","county":"Arlington County","state":"VA","lat":38.88179718500004,"lon":-77.10196548999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-12-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Classical Revival brick elementary school at 3550 Wilson Boulevard in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, built in 1910 with a rear addition in 1954. It was designed by architect Charles M. Robinson and built by M. W. Gayle.","why_significant":"The school reflects the growth of public education in Arlington County during the 20th century. It served Clarendon as its sole elementary school for sixty-three years, until 1973. It is also a well-preserved example of Classical Revival school design by Charles M. Robinson, a noted Virginia school architect.","narrative":"Built in 1910 at 3550 Wilson Boulevard, this two-and-a-half-story brick school served the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington County for sixty-three years as its only elementary school, teaching grades one through six. Richmond architect Charles M. Robinson gave it Classical Revival features, including projecting front bays with enclosed pediments, Palladian windows, and a wood portico with paired Tuscan columns. M. W. Gayle of Newport News was the builder, and the school board docked his pay over construction flaws. It opened in September 1910 with 298 students and was renamed Matthew Maury School in 1944. A rear addition followed in 1954. The school closed in 1973, stood vacant for four years, and was renovated in 1977 as the Arlington Arts Center, which uses former classrooms as studios and hallways as galleries. It is the second oldest surviving school building in the county and was recognized for its contributions to education and architecture.","period_of_significance":"1910-1949","architect_builder":"Charles M. Robinson (architect); M. W. Gayle (builder)","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Closed as a school in 1973, vacant for four years, then renovated in 1977 and now used as the Arlington Arts Center with studios and gallery space.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.450892-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/26/6796/41679626/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/99001502.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001502/b500e1ab8f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99001502/b500e1ab8f-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"KudzuVine","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arlington_Arts_Center,_3550_Wilson_Blvd_(Arlington,_Virginia).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">KudzuVine</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arlington_Arts_Center,_3550_Wilson_Blvd_(Arlington,_Virginia).JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"03000561","name":"Ashton Heights Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/ashton-heights-historic-district-03000561/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41679626","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarendon_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5126881"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/arlington-county/clarendon-school-99001502/"}