Springfield Township School
Also known as: Springfield Local High School; Ontario High School; Ontario Middle School
Why it's listed
Built in 1929 on Park Avenue West in Ontario, Ohio, Springfield Township School is a three-story red brick building with a symmetrical facade, a two-story arched entrance and restrained Second Renaissance Revival detailing. It replaced one-room schoolhouses as a consolidated school housing grades 1-12, with a gymnasium, assembly space and vocational facilities. It was the largest and most costly rural school in Richland County when constructed. Additions in 1949 and 1952 expanded the building as the community grew, and they respected the original symmetry and materials. A small Farm Shop Building, built around 1937 and connected in 1941, was a National Youth Administration work project that employed local out-of-school youth. Later changes, including a cafeteria addition and a bricked-in entry, were removed in 2002, revealing original materials and windows. The school was listed for its role in local education and community life, and it remains a prominent landmark in a formerly rural area. The building is now vacant.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A for its role in the educational history of Ontario, Springfield Township and Richland County as a rural consolidated school with high school, gymnasium, assembly and vocational facilities. It was the largest and most costly rural school in the county when built. The ca. 1937 Farm Shop Building and 1941 connector were National Youth Administration work projects.
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 03000325, listed April 24, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3560 Park Ave. W, Ontario |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Listed | April 24, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000325 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928 - 1952 |
| Architect / builder | Architects: Fred J. Porter and D. Roy Virtue, Columbus (1929); Fred Fornoff, Columbus (ca. 1937); Charles J. Marr (Marr, Knapp & Crawfis), Mansfield (1949-1952). Builders: Lorenzo D. Hetrick, Columbus (1929); National Youth Administration for Ohio (ca. 1937); The Jacob Wolf Co., Mansfield (1952) |
| Architectural style | Second Renaissance Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Education, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in very good condition and well maintained; occupied by Ontario Middle School through the 2001 school year and presently vacant. Later intrusive additions were removed in 2002. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.76085, -82.64244 (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 03000325.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.