Groton High School
Why it's listed
Groton High School is a three-story brick school at the corner of Main and Elm streets in Groton, built in 1919-1920 and designed by Cortland architect Carl W. Clark. Its symmetrical west facade features six engaged Doric columns, a segmentally arched pediment over the central entrance, and cast stone belt courses. The steel-framed building is filled with gypsum block, and its fireproof construction, dual staircases, wide halls and stamped metal ceilings answered state safety requirements after the 1908 Ohio school fire. The first floor was planned for community use, including a War Memorial Room and a gymnasium that could be closed off from the classrooms for public use. It was the first of more than fifty-five schools Clark designed in central New York. After serving as a high school until 1954, it became an elementary school, then offices for a typewriter manufacturer and an early community college home. It has been vacant since 1984, with notable interior deterioration.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a distinctive, intact example of an early twentieth-century school in Upstate New York that reflects state fire-safety rules and the idea of the school as a community center. It is also an early work of Carl W. Clark, the first of more than fifty-five central New York schools he designed. It is tied to the village's period of greatest growth and prosperity.
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 92000953, listed July 24, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 177 Main St., Groton |
|---|---|
| County | Tompkins County |
| Listed | July 24, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000953 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1919-1920 |
| Architect / builder | Clark, Carl W. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival (Neo-Classical) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Not used for education since 1975 and unoccupied since 1984; the interior is deteriorated but the building keeps substantial integrity. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.58802, -76.36644 (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 92000953.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q99443525
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.