Baxter High School
Also known as: Pittsburgh High School for the CAPA
Why it's listed
Built in stages beginning in 1908 on a corner lot in Pittsburgh, Baxter High School is a brick building of two stories over a raised basement, with a stone watertable and cornice and a brick parapet. The original 1908 elementary section was extended south in 1911 and served as a high school from 1912 to 1922. A west section added in 1929 held a gymnasium, auditorium and cafeteria for a junior high school. The architects, Kiehnel & Elliott, were among Pittsburgh's more progressive early twentieth-century firms, and their design reflects Chicago and Prairie School practices. The building's most distinctive feature is a beltcourse tied to the cornice by geometric and foliate detailing in the Prairie School manner. The east stairhall holds a metal balustrade with Art Nouveau panels. The building is now a magnet school for creative and performing arts.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally significant for its progressive detailing and for the attempt at complementary yet differentiated design between its two main sections. Its Prairie School-influenced beltcourse and Art Nouveau stair-hall detailing are cited as its most distinctive features. The firm of Kiehnel & Elliott, among Pittsburgh's more progressive early twentieth-century firms, designed it.
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 86002647, listed September 30, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Baxter St. and Brushton Ave., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | September 30, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002647 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-1920; 1921-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Kiehnel & Elliott (architects); Kiehnel, Elliott & Chalfant (1929 section) |
| Architectural style | Chicago School |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition; in use as the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts, a magnet school. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.45622, -79.88835 (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 86002647.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4873849
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.