Madison Elementary School
Why it's listed
Madison Elementary School occupies a corner lot in Pittsburgh's Milwaukee Street area, built in 1902 as a five-bay, two-story brick school on a tall stone basement. Architect Ulysses J. L. Peoples, who specialized in school design, gave the entries rounded arches and richly carved terra cotta featuring monkeys, snakes, cherubs and other beasts. Peoples had worked at D.H. Burnham & Company in Chicago, and the nomination links his terra cotta forms to displays at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. A 1929 addition by Pringle & Robling, of buff brick with understated Art Deco detailing, extends the original building. The school is listed for its architectural detailing and for its association with the early wave of public school construction in Pittsburgh.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant for its exuberant architectural detailing, especially the terra cotta entry ornament, and for its association with the city's first era of public school construction. The reviewer's comments cite architecture as the area of significance.
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 86002687, listed September 30, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Milwaukee and Orion Sts., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | September 30, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002687 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-1920 |
| Architect / builder | Ulysses J. L. Peoples (architect); Pringle & Robling (architects of the 1929 addition) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Original hipped roof, skylight and chimney have been lost; window sash is replacement; the building is in fair condition and in school use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.45464, -79.96043 (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 86002687.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6727968
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.