Main Building School
Why it's listed
Main Building is a three-story brick school on Sugartree Street in Wilmington, Ohio, completed in 1869 to designs by W. M. Cleveland. It rises from a wooded lot of nearly six acres in a residential area close to downtown. The High Victorian Italianate design features seven bays on each side, brick pilaster strips, a projecting central section topped by a pedimented gable, and a low hip roof. Paired brackets support a boxed cornice, and the frieze has carved pendant-like projections. Windows have stone sills and lintels, with segmental hoodmoulds on the lower floors and round-arched ones above. The original belfry was removed in the early 1900s, and a one-story classroom addition was built around 1950 at the rear. The school operated continuously until May 1979. It was listed for its architecture: local comparisons show no other Wilmington building in this style with such elaborate stone trim and lively exterior, and it is among the oldest standing schools in the county.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues architectural significance as a fine example of High Victorian Italianate style, with varied window treatments, an elaborate cornice and frieze, and stone trim. It is described as the finest school of this style in Wilmington and one of the oldest standing schools in Clinton County.
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 80002960, listed November 21, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Sugartree St., Wilmington |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | November 21, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002960 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | W. M. Cleveland |
| Architectural style | High Victorian Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used continuously as a school from 1869 until it was vacated in May 1979; the Board of Education had planned to sell it but delayed at the request of a preservation group. The form also marks it as unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Coordinates | 39.44338, -83.83430 (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 80002960.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.