Lincoln School
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Lincoln School, at 455 Delta Avenue in Cincinnati, is a 3½-story red brick and stone school built in 1898 on a rise near the foot of a hill bordering the Ohio River. It has eighteen rooms and seats a thousand students. Romanesque arching dominates the third-floor windows, and the roof is steeply pitched gray slate with small pedimented dormers, six heavy chimneys and a central skylight. The original stone wall and wrought iron fence still enclose the play area. Architect Henry E. Siter, who served as architect for the Cincinnati Schools from 1890 to 1900, designed it to replace the Pendleton School House of 1862 on the Ohio River flood plain. Six wings place windows on three sides of each classroom for light and cross ventilation. It is among the few Romanesque schools left in the city and the only one not extensively altered or enlarged. The sole obvious change is glass brickwork added in 1917 for fireproofing. It remains an active elementary school.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few Romanesque school buildings left in Cincinnati and the only one not extensively altered or added to. It is a good example of the 5 or 6 schools Henry E. Siter designed while architect for the Cincinnati Schools from 1890 to 1900. Its six-wing plan and central skylight reflect Siter's focus on light and ventilation.
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). NRHP reference 100002889, listed November 29, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 455 Delta Ave., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | November 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 100002889 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Architect / builder | Henry E. Siter |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Level of significance | Not_indicated |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In constant use as a school since opening and still an active elementary community school; the only obvious alteration is 1917 glass brick fireproofing below the skylight. |
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 100002889.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.