Merced County High School
Also known as: County Library Building
Why it's listed
Completed in 1897, this two-story brick building on Merced's courthouse square was the first structure in Merced County designed and built as a high school. Architect Louis S. Stone of San Francisco planned it in the Richardsonian Romanesque manner, with a hipped roof, cross gables, ribbon windows, a round-arched entry and a wooden central tower. The school opened in January 1897, and before it existed students seeking education beyond the eighth grade had to attend private academies. The high school used the building until 1920. The County Library moved in during 1921 and stayed until 1976, and the building also held court chambers, veterans' and highway patrol offices, welfare offices and the parks department. Alterations changed its look: the upper tower was removed around 1903, stucco covered the brick in 1956, and interiors were remodeled in 1921 and 1953. Even so, it remains a landmark among the surviving public buildings around Court House Park, alongside the 1875 courthouse.
Significance in brief: It was the first building designed and built specifically as a high school in Merced County, and it later served as the County Library and housed county offices. It was an early civic and cultural center and remains a major visual landmark in the city's courthouse square. It was also a rare local example of Richardsonian Romanesque design, though altered.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84000909, listed May 31, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2125 M St., Merced |
|---|---|
| County | Merced County |
| Listed | May 31, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000909 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Louis Stanwood Stone; Builder: John Miller |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Merced County; the boundary section says the building is not presently occupied. It is altered, in fair condition, and used for storage and a workshop. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.30667, -120.48278 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84000909.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14683332
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.