Botkins Elementary School
Why it's listed
Botkins Elementary School is a two-story brick building completed in 1921 on Main Street, two blocks north of the main intersection in Botkins, Ohio. It has a flat roof, a concrete foundation, a basement, and a rectangular plan, with stretcher-bond brickwork. Its most outstanding feature is the central entrance, which has pillars and a pediment beneath a double row of windows in a projecting frontispiece. Four pairs of windows flank the entrance, a horizontal band runs along the top of the building, and a round-arched central parapet is topped by a cross. The school is classed as Transitional in style. It belongs to the Immaculate Conception parish, which established its first real school in Botkins in 1881 next to the Catholic church on the old pike from Sidney to Wapakoneta. The school sits south of the church on old Route 25, with the rectory and a convent to the west across the playground. The building is still used as a school and is in good condition.
Significance in brief: The inventory form ties the school to the Immaculate Conception parish, which opened its first real school in Botkins in 1881 beside the Catholic church. The building is documented as part of a thematic group of cross-tipped churches and related structures. Its centered entrance with pillars and pediment is called its most outstanding feature.
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 79002851, listed July 26, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Botkins |
|---|---|
| County | Shelby County |
| Listed | July 26, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002851 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1921 |
| Architectural style | Transitional |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a school; interior and exterior condition both listed as good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.46908, -84.18255 (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 79002851.
- 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.