St. Mary's School, Old
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 for St. Mary's parish in Marietta, Ohio, this two-story brick and sandstone school combines Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival features. The main section held four classrooms and a central hall with two stairs, and a two-story convent was added on the northeast side in 1897. A rusticated sandstone basement raises the first floor above the sidewalk, a response to Ohio River flooding. The entrance sits in a south tower beneath a heavy stone arch and a delicate fanlight. Flooding led the church to sell the building in 1912, and it later served as a boarding house, shops, a junk dealer and an automobile repair garage before being abandoned. A 1981 restoration replaced the missing floor and windows and kept the original slate roof. The interior now serves as offices. The building is valued as a local example of late nineteenth century school architecture and a reminder of Marietta's turn-of-the-century oil-boom prosperity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a local example of late nineteenth century school architecture blending Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival influences. Its red brick with contrasting sandstone trim, rusticated stone arch and bands of windows reflect the prosperity of Marietta's oil boom era. It retains integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship.
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 89001457, listed October 3, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 132 S. Fourth St., Marietta |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | October 3, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895, 1897 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored beginning in 1981 after years of varied uses and abandonment; now used as modern office space and a corporate headquarters. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Marietta Historic District (Boundary Decrease) |
| Coordinates | 39.41446, -81.44683 (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 89001457.
- 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.