Keith, D.S., Junior High School
Also known as: West Side Junior High School; Keith Hilltop Terrace Apartments
Why it's listed
Built between 1928 and 1930 as a junior high school for the Altoona School District, this four-story buff brick building sits on a steep hillside in the West Side neighborhood, overlooking the city's downtown. Hersh & Shollar, a locally prominent Altoona firm, designed it in the Classical Revival style, with a steel frame, a granite foundation, stone trim and an E-shaped plan that admitted daylight into its courtyards. The school cost $912,204 to build and opened in September 1930 with a 1,500-seat auditorium, gymnasiums, a cafeteria, a public library branch, and specialized rooms for science, art, music and domestic arts. Its curriculum reflected the broadened, child-centered teaching of the Long Progressive Era. The nomination treats it as a significant example of public school design tied to Altoona's expansion of education. The building closed as a school in 2008 and was converted to senior housing in 2010.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is locally significant under Criterion A for its association with education in Altoona, particularly the 6-3-3 system of education and the broader curriculum of the Long Progressive Era. Its scale and classical design are presented as expressing public investment in education and civic pride. It also serves as a prominent landmark overlooking the city's downtown.
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 11000922, listed December 20, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1318 19th Ave., Altoona |
|---|---|
| County | Blair County |
| Listed | December 20, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000922 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928-1930 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted to 53 two-bedroom affordable senior apartments (Keith Hilltop Terrace Apartments), opened January 2010; athletic, cafeteria and auditorium spaces were subdivided and mothballed. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.51941, -78.40897 (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 11000922.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q137571988
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.