Cummins School
Also known as: 22nd District Public School
Why it's listed
Cummins School, at 824 William H. Taft Road in Cincinnati's Walnut Hills neighborhood, is a 3 1/2-story brick school built in the Italianate style. Construction began in 1871, two years after Walnut Hills was annexed to the city, and the school opened in 1873. The double-E plan has a symmetrical five-bay front with a projecting central bay, bracketed pediment lintels, a rock-faced ashlar foundation and corbeled chimneys. A two-story classically inspired addition was added at the rear in 1907. Samuel Hannaford designed the building, and Edward C. Crofton built it. School officials called it worthy of ranking with the best school buildings, and it was recognized at the Paris exposition of 1900 along with other Cincinnati schools. It and another Hannaford school served as prototypes for the city's school system because of their cost effectiveness and innovative floor plans. The building served as a school for more than a century and is now vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an excellent, well-maintained example of the Italianate style applied to a large public building, a school type found in very limited numbers in Cincinnati. It is also significant for its association with Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford, and it served as a prototype for the city's school system because of its cost effectiveness and innovative floor plan.
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 86000014, listed January 9, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 824 Wiliam H. Taft Rd., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | January 9, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000014 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Samuel Hannaford; builder Edward C. Crofton |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant, with the interior in fair condition and the exterior in good condition. The school closed within the last few years after operating for over 100 years. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.12796, -84.49085 (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 86000014.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5194146
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.