Notre Dame Academy
Also known as: Diehl, Lulu, Junior High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 at 1325 Ansel Road on Cleveland's east side, this E-shaped brick school building housed Notre Dame Academy, a Catholic school for girls founded in 1874 by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Architect William Jansen, known for Cleveland church and school buildings, designed it in the Collegiate Gothic style. Brown brick walls with limestone trim frame a projecting central tower capped by four octagonal Tudor turrets, with lancet and quatrefoil openings, ogee-arched doors and stone plaques bearing crosses and torches over open bibles. The school moved to this site in 1915 and shared the campus with Notre Dame College from 1922 to 1928. The academy left for Chardon in 1963, and the Cleveland Board of Education bought the building in 1964, later using it as Lulu Diehl Junior High School. The building is now vacant with boarded windows. It is recognized as a good local example of Collegiate Gothic school architecture, set on a scenic ravine site.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally significant as a good local example of institutional Collegiate Gothic design, which was widely used for Cleveland schools between 1900 and 1930. Its central entrance tower with octagonal Tudor turrets, lancets, quatrefoil windows, arched entrances, stone mullions and buttresses are cited as particularly fine. It was designed by local architect William Jansen, and its scenic site adds to its significance.
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 88000637, listed May 26, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1325 Ansel Rd., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | May 26, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000637 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914 |
| Architect / builder | William Jansen |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival (Collegiate Gothic) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building is described as vacant and not in use, with its window openings boarded up. The form says no alterations have affected its integrity. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Within district | Rockefeller Park and Cleveland Cultural Gardens Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.52061, -81.62138 (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 88000637.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137708520
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.