Sanford High School, Former
Also known as: West Sanford Middle School
Why it's listed
Sanford High School is a two-story, L-shaped brick building on North Steele Street, completed in 1925 during a period of rapid growth in Sanford. Designed by Wilson, Berryman & Kennedy, a firm that specialized in public schools, it has a main classroom wing, an auditorium and gymnasium wing, and Classical Revival detailing that includes concrete-faced pilasters and Doric capitals. Inside, the auditorium is the standout space, with molded plaster friezes and panels showing the Greek muses, described as the most elaborate plasterwork identified in Lee County. The school served white high school students until 1951, then worked as a junior high and middle school until 1976, and later as a county arts and community center. It was listed for its architecture and for its role as one of the consolidated schools that brought auditoriums and gymnasiums to Lee County. A cafeteria added in 1956 is the main exterior change.
Significance in brief: The building is cited as one of the premier structures of Sanford's 1920s building boom and a leading example of the consolidated schools built in Lee County in that period. It is also noted as one of the best surviving non-domestic Classical Revival buildings in town, with the most elaborate plasterwork identified in the county. It is significant locally in architecture and education.
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 95001400, listed November 29, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 507 N. Steele St., Sanford |
|---|---|
| County | Lee County |
| Listed | November 29, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001400 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Wilson, Berryman & Kennedy (architects); Chapman-Hunt Company (general contractor) |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Declared unsafe for occupancy by county officials in the early 1990s after plaster fell in a classroom; ownership passed to a nonprofit arts and community center group in 1995, with rehabilitation planned. Current function listed as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Within district | Hawkins Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.48582, -79.18419 (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 95001400.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20679828
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.