Mount Adams Public School
Why it's listed
Mount Adams Public School is a 2 1/2 story brick schoolhouse at 1125 St. Gregory Street in Cincinnati, built in 1894 at a cost of $38,150. Designed as an eight-room school for 450 pupils, it sits on a steep, graded lot in the Mount Adams business district. The steeply pitched slate roof, corbelled chimneys, pedimented dormers and richly detailed arched entrance give it a distinctly Romanesque character. Inside, the original woodwork, wainscoting and stairways with pierced iron risers survive, and construction mixes steel I beams in the central corridor with wood joists in the classrooms. Architect Henry E. Siter, who worked for the Cincinnati Board of Education, designed it as a departure from older school plans. It is one of the few remaining nineteenth-century Romanesque schools in the city. The school had occupied five earlier locations, more than any other school in Cincinnati, before settling on this site. It now houses the Art Academy of Cincinnati under a lease.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is one of the few remaining nineteenth-century Romanesque school buildings in Cincinnati designed by architect Henry E. Siter. Its asymmetrical fenestration, extensive dormers and arched main entrance make it a fine example of Romanesque architecture. It also holds a prominent position in the Mount Adams business district and is an integral part of the community.
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 80003066, listed November 24, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1125 St. Gregory St., Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | November 24, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003066 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894-95 |
| Architect / builder | Henry E. Siter |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a school; the Board of Education has leased it to the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Described as unaltered apart from fireproof stair enclosures in 1917 and electrical work in 1972. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.10865, -84.49795 (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 80003066.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6919256
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.