University Heights Junior High School
Also known as: Eastside Social Services Center; Riverside Historic Landmark
Why it's listed
Opened on October 15, 1928, University Heights Junior High School at 2060 University Avenue in Riverside is a cross-shaped, two-story concrete building with a red tile roof and an octagonal tower. John C. Austin of Austin & Ashley designed it, and a Churrigueresque-style entrance with Corinthian columns marks the front. A plain vocational education building stands to the east but is counted as non-contributing because of heavy alterations. The school was one of three gender-integrated junior highs built after Riverside voters approved bonds in 1922, and it is the only one that remains intact. It also reflects the city's push to use Spanish Colonial Revival design for major public buildings, and it is the last Austin-designed building in Riverside. The school closed after a 1972 inspection found it unsafe under earthquake standards. The city bought it in 1974 and converted it to a community center, keeping original classroom windows, blackboards, lockers and the auditorium.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance under Criterion A as the most intact of Riverside's three earliest gender-integrated junior high schools of the progressive era. Under Criterion C, it is an important example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Riverside's public buildings, and the only remaining work in the city by architect John C. Austin.
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 93000547, listed June 24, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2060 University Ave., Riverside |
|---|---|
| County | Riverside County |
| Listed | June 24, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000547 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928 |
| Architect / builder | Austin, John C. (Austin & Ashley); constructed by Cresmer Manufacturing Company, with H.G. Lehrabach as consulting engineer |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Revival/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a social services center and community center within Bobby Bonds Park and Sports Complex, with office space for nonprofit organizations; the vocational building houses a Head Start school. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 33.97496, -117.35638 (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 93000547.
- 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.