New Straitsville School
Why it's listed
Built in 1916-1917 on a hill at the edge of New Straitsville, Ohio, this brick school replaced an 1871 building as the coal mining town's population grew. Architects Matheny, Allen & Mounts of Columbus designed it, and Taylor & Linn of Zanesville constructed it. The rectangular building has shallow side wings, a central auditorium and gymnasium, Tudor-arched entrances with stone trim, and shaped parapets with limestone coping. Light brick with red mortar, rusticated lower walls, quoins and decorative limestone squares give it a Classical Revival character. It served grades 1-12 and later became an elementary school after district consolidations in the 1960s. The school closed in 1992 and has been vacant since, with water damage to floors and plaster. It is considered significant for its architecture and for what it shows about education in a mining community at its early twentieth century peak. It is the town's only public school of this style and remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A as a representation of early 20th century educational development in a coal mining town at its peak. Under Criterion C, it is the town's only example of early 20th century Classical Revival architecture and a representative urban school of its era. It remains highly intact and sits on a hill overlooking 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 01000590, listed June 8, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 402 Clark St., New Straitsville |
|---|---|
| County | Perry County |
| Listed | June 8, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000590 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1916 - 1950 |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Matheny, Allen & Mounts, Columbus; Builder: Taylor & Linn, Zanesville |
| Architectural style | 20th Century / Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed in 1992 and vacant since; in fair condition, with water damage to interior finishes and many windows boarded up or broken. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Coordinates | 39.58267, -82.23414 (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 01000590.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138647062
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.