Springfield Public School
Why it's listed
Springfield Public School is a bulky three-story brick schoolhouse on a corner lot in Pittsburgh's Strip District, where it rises above low industrial and warehouse buildings. Built in 1871, it has a nine-bay facade with a projecting three-bay center section topped by a pedimented gable roof. Stone basement and watertable, a stone beltcourse with brick dentils, and a wood box cornice give it its Italianate character, and the entry trio has rounded stone arches with incised keystones on Corinthian columns. The school opened as part of the Springfield Sub-district and was closed in 1934 as the local residential population declined. The Pittsburgh Board of Public Education then used it as a district warehouse from 1934 to 1946, and it has remained a warehouse since its sale in 1946. Its windows have been replaced and the upper floors altered, but it is regarded as a good example of a large Italianate schoolhouse in the city.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a good example of a large-scale Italianate schoolhouse, designed by architect T. D. Evans. Its integrity has been diminished by alterations, but its design and scale are the basis for its significance in architecture.
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 86002711, listed September 30, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Smallman and Thirty-first Sts., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | September 30, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002711 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1861-1880 |
| Architect / builder | T. D. Evans (?) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently for sale; has been used as a warehouse since 1946. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.46005, -79.97120 (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 86002711.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7581031
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.