Stevens School
Why it's listed
Built in 1889-90 in York, Pennsylvania, the Stevens School is a two and one half story, six-classroom building of red-orange common bond brick, planned in a Latin cross with a hipped slate roof and three central chimneys. Designed by John A. and Reinhardt Dempwolf, the firm that produced many of York's most significant buildings, it was constructed for a contracted cost of $15,985, about $2,665 per classroom. Richardsonian Romanesque features are concentrated on the central facade pavilion, the stair hall, the wall dormers and the roof, while the classroom wings are plain by comparison. The interior retains varnished woodwork and original cloakroom coathooks. The building is regarded as a significant example of local school design from the period. It closed as a public school in December 1960, and the nomination traces how its basic instructional layout came to be considered inadequate after the Second World War.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the building is an architecturally successful example of a school built to the educational needs of its era, in which a modest budget was combined with a restrained use of Richardsonian Romanesque elements. It describes the school as probably the finest remaining Richardsonian Romanesque school building in York County. Its educational and architectural history is also presented as significant, including its role in York's school building expansion between 1888 and 1920.
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 83004263, listed December 29, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 606 W. Philadelphia St., York |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | December 29, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004263 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1889-1890 |
| Architect / builder | John A. & Reinhardt Dempwolf (architects) |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed to public education in December 1960; the form does not state its later use. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 39.95862, -76.74404 (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 83004263.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7615496
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.