Cumming Public School-Cumming High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 at 101 School Street in downtown Cumming, this one-story red-brick school was rebuilt after lightning struck and burned its 1923 predecessor. Insurance money of $10,000 and local fund raisers paid for the work, and salvaged brick and other materials were reused. The elongated H-plan has a central hall, an auditorium at the rear and a stone-trimmed Gothic Revival entrance with a parapet hood. Its style is plain and utilitarian, reflecting what a modest north Georgia community could afford. For decades it was the city's only school, serving grades one through twelve, and the auditorium hosted local events. Students moved out in stages after 1955, and the county school board used the building as offices until the city bought it in 1999 for multipurpose use. Two outbuildings, a storage shed and a bus servicing building, also contribute to the property.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant in architecture as a modest, utilitarian school that reflects what a low-income north Georgia community could afford and the school design standards of the 1920s and 1930s. It is significant in education as the city's only school, serving grades 1-12 from 1927 to 1950 and beyond, and as the site of local gatherings. The land had also been a community education site since the 1880s.
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 00000107, listed February 18, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 101 School St., Cumming |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | February 18, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000107 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1950 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | OTHER: with Gothic Revival details |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Purchased by the City of Cumming in 1999 for use as a multipurpose building; the Historical Society of Forsyth County plans to use part of it as headquarters and meeting space. Earlier used as county school board offices after it closed to students in 1974. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 34.20818, -84.13683 (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 00000107.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q125357647
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.