Campbell Union High School Historic District
Why it's listed
Three school buildings at the corner of Campbell Avenue and Winchester Boulevard in Campbell make up the original Campbell Union High School complex, built between 1936 and 1938 with Works Progress Administration funds. The Academic Classroom Building, Administration Building and Auditorium are wood-frame structures with stucco walls, terra cotta tile roofs and hand-painted ceramic tile bands made by the Solon and Larkin Company of San Jose. They were designed by William H. Weeks and his son Harold, a firm known for school architecture across California. William Weeks died in 1936, and Harold completed the work. The complex served as Campbell's only high school for more than 25 years after World War II, until it closed in 1980 because of falling enrollment. Later additions on the site have been altered and are not part of the district. The buildings are now leased for community college use and remain a visible local landmark of Spanish Colonial Revival institutional design.
Significance in brief: The buildings are significant under Criteria A and C as the original high school complex, which served as Campbell's only high school for over 25 years. They are also good examples of Spanish Colonial Revival design by architect William H. Weeks, known for school and library architecture, and his son Harold. Local significance is noted, including hand-painted tiles by the Solon and Larkin Company.
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 89001048, listed August 17, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | August 17, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001048 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1936-38 |
| Architect / builder | Weeks, William H. (Academic Classroom); Weeks, Harold H. and William H. |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Presently leased for use as a community college; the high school closed in 1980 due to declining enrollment. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 37.28776, -121.95170 (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 89001048.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5028085
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.