Judah, Theodore, School
Also known as: Lubin, David, Annex
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Why it's listed
Theodore Judah School is a neighborhood elementary school at 3919 McKinley Boulevard in Sacramento, built in two phases with federal Public Works Administration funding. Unit 1, with six classrooms, was finished in 1937, and Unit 2 added a kindergarten, administration and health office, auditorium and entry foyer in 1939. Architect Charles F. Dean of Dean and Dean designed it in the Streamline Moderne style, with flat roofs, smooth stucco walls, rounded corners, and little ornament. Inside, the entry lobby is paneled in Philippine mahogany, and the auditorium doors have porthole windows. The school grew from a two-room bungalow annex of David Lubin School that opened in 1927 after parents petitioned for a local school. It is considered the best surviving example of Streamline Moderne in a Sacramento public building, and the style also suited the economy required by PWA projects. A 1948 temporary classroom unit is not counted as historic. The school remains in use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is the best surviving example of Streamline Moderne architecture in a Sacramento public building. The style is applied consistently inside and out, and it suited the economy and simplicity of PWA-funded projects. It also reflects the work of Dean and Dean, one of the city's leading school design firms.
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 97000810, listed July 25, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3919 McKinley Blvd., Sacremento |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | July 25, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000810 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1938-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Dean, Charles F.; Keating, William C.; Peterson, M.R. |
| Architectural style | Moderne (Streamline Moderne) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a school; the original boiler, converted to natural gas, still heats the building. The interior is described as virtually unaltered, and the original wood windows on the facade have been replaced with aluminum. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Within district | McKinley Park |
| Coordinates | 38.57751, -121.46276 (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 97000810.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15526547
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.