Orange Intermediate School-Central Grammar School
Also known as: Orange Unified School District Office
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 at 370 North Glassell Street in Orange, California, this two-story reinforced concrete school was designed by Santa Ana architect J. Flood Walker in the Lombardic Italian style. A red-clay-tile hipped roof, twin square towers, a central gable with arched corbel-tables, and decorative bands of glazed brick and tile in tan, rust and brown set it apart. The walls are coated in original Kellastone stucco, and a wide front lawn and pepper trees preserve its early setting. It opened as Central Grammar School, then became Orange's first junior high in 1919 when several local districts merged into the Orange Unified School District. For decades it hosted plays, assemblies, athletics and club meetings. Since the early 1960s it has housed district administration. It is considered the largest and best-preserved example of its style in the city, and the oldest remaining junior high school building in the county.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant for its role in educating Orange's youth, first as Central Grammar School and then as the city's first junior high school from 1919 until the early 1960s. It is also valued as the largest, most imposing and most intact example of its architectural style in Orange, and the oldest remaining junior high school building in the county.
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 93000282, listed April 13, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 370 N. Glassell St., Orange |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | April 13, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000282 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914 - 1943 |
| Architect / builder | Walker, J. Flood |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance (Lombardic Italian) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used for education-related purposes as the school district administration building since the early 1960s; some original windows and doors have been replaced. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Within district | Old Towne Orange Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.79304, -117.85372 (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.
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 93000282.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.