Newberry Township School
Also known as: Famous School
Why it's listed
Built in 1879, Newberry Township School #14 is a single-story brick schoolhouse measuring 38 by 28 feet, standing on State Route 721 where four townships meet near Bradford, Ohio. It held classes in one room until 1925, when the township sold it at auction after students moved to a consolidated school in Bradford. It was later used for farm storage. A car crash in 1984 damaged the front, and an overhead garage door replaced the original entrances. Restoration in 2009 and 2010 rebuilt the facade with salvaged brick, replaced the windows and slate roof, and began a new bell tower. Inside are plank floors, plastered walls, early coat hooks, painted and slate blackboards, and a hand-carved limestone sink for a water bucket. The building is recognized for its role in local education and as a rare surviving example of the one-room school type, which was once common across Newberry Township and Ohio.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criteria A and C at the local level. It shows the role of one-room schools in educating rural children from 1879 to 1925 and displays the typical features of the one-room schoolhouse type. It is also one of few surviving examples that still looks like a school.
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 12000395, listed July 3, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4045 OH 721, Bradford |
|---|---|
| County | Miami County |
| Listed | July 3, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000395 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1879-1925 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & early 20th century American movement |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Work in progress: the building was being restored, with a 2010 facade reconstruction, replacement windows and roof, and a new bell tower under construction. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.09458, -84.42958 (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 12000395.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138589182
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.