Fannin, James W., Elementary School
Also known as: Phase IV--East Dallas DAL/DA 185
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Why it's listed
Fannin Elementary School, at 4800 Ross Avenue in East Dallas, is a three-story brick school completed in 1915 and still used for teaching by the Dallas Independent School District. It was the second building of a two-school complex named for James W. Fannin; the first, built in 1908, was demolished in the 1980s. Lang & Witchell, a prolific Dallas architectural firm, designed the surviving building. Its facade has cast-stone detailing, a projecting central bay with five vertical divisions, and an ornate parapet with cartouches. The design resists a single style but shows Late Gothic Revival features, which set it apart from the classically detailed schools common in Dallas at the time. A ca. 1912 house, acquired about 1928 and now used for PTA offices, is attached and counts as a contributing part of the property. A large rear addition and portable classrooms are newer. The school was listed for its architecture and its retained 1915 character.
Significance in brief: The school is argued to be one of Dallas's oldest and most intact educational buildings, with an eclectic design showing Late Gothic Revival features. Most Dallas schools of the period used classical detailing, so its Gothic-inspired design is described as unusual. It was also designed by Lang & Witchell, a prolific and influential Dallas firm.
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 95000314, listed March 23, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4800 Ross Ave., Dallas |
|---|---|
| County | Dallas County |
| Listed | March 23, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000314 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915 |
| Architect / builder | Lang & Witchell (architects, Dallas) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Movements: Tudor Revival (description notes Late Gothic Revival elements) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as an elementary school by the Dallas Independent School District; described as in good condition with a major rear addition and portable classrooms. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 32.80540, -96.77583 (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 95000314.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65073567
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.