School 13
Also known as: Boys Alternative High School
Why it's listed
Built between 1913 and 1915 on Oak Street in downtown Buffalo, School 13 is a three-story, steel-frame primary school designed by Buffalo architect George J. Metzger. Its five-bay façade pairs bright red face brick with white glazed terra cotta, a rusticated limestone basement, and a projecting central entrance topped by a round-arched window and a bronze seal of the City of Buffalo. A T-shaped plan places classrooms along Oak Street and an auditorium, gymnasium and swimming pool to the rear. Inside, brown glazed brick corridor walls, slate blackboards and the original auditorium ceiling survive. The school reflects standardized schoolhouse planning of its era, including ribbon windows sized to bring daylight into classrooms. It is significant as an intact Neo-Classical school and as a place where children from many immigrant families were educated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The school closed in 2003 and is now vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an intact example of early twentieth-century urban school architecture in the Neo-Classical style linked to the Beaux-Arts and City Beautiful movements (Criterion C). It is also significant under Criterion A for its role in the public education and Americanization of immigrant children in Buffalo.
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 05000161, listed March 15, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 266-268 Oak St., Buffalo |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | March 15, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000161 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1915-1953 |
| Architect / builder | George J. Metzger, Architect |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Revival/Beaux Arts Classicism |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant in the current function field; the school closed in 2003. The interior and floor plan are largely unchanged, though the original metal cornice and bronze entrance lamps are gone. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.88902, -78.87016 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 05000161.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7432139
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.