Maplewood School
The Maplewood School, also known as Grammar School No. 5, is a historic school building at 434 Maplewood Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was built in 1893, and was designed by Longstaff & Hurd. It was built as part of a major program to improve the city's schools and provide for a rapidly growing population. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[1]
Maplewood School | |
Location | 434 Maplewood Ave., Bridgeport, Connecticut |
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Coordinates | 41°10′43″N 73°12′34″W |
Area | 1.2 acres (0.49 ha) |
Built | 1893 |
Architect | Longstaff & Hurd; Henry A. Howe, Jr.; Joseph W. Northrop |
Architectural style | Renaissance |
NRHP reference No. | 90000153[1] |
Added to NRHP | February 21, 1990 |
Description and history
The former Maplewood School building is located in a residential area on Bridgeport's West Side, occupying part of a block between Linwood and Maplewood Avenues. It is a large two-story brick building, with a flat roof and modest Renaissance Revival styling. Second-story windows on its oldest portion have rounded tops, and the main entrance is set recessed within a rounded-arch opening. The original building had eight classrooms around a central hall, which was doubled with the first addition and doubled again with construction of the annex.[1][2]
The city of Bridgeport grew rapidly between 1880 and 1920, and undertook a massive building program to replace its aging one and two-room schoolhouses with modern schools. Built in 1892, Maplewood School replaced a one-room schoolhouse, and exemplifies thinking of the period for educational facilities, including graded classrooms, indoor plumbing, and heating. The building was designed by Longstaff & Hurd, a local architectural firm. As a result of overcrowding, in 1903 architect Henry A. Howe, Jr. designed additions, which were built onto both fronts of the school.[3] In 1908, the school was once again enlarged with an annex designed by Joseph W. Northrop.[4] The school was closed in 1980.[2]
See also
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- Bruce Clouette (June 30, 1989). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Maplewood School / Grammar School No. 5". National Park Service. and Accompanying 10 photos from 1989 (captions page 8 of text document)
- American School Board Journal June 1903: 30.
- American Architect 30 Sept. 1908: 17.