Washington Street School (Hartford, Connecticut)
The Washington Street School is a historic school building at 461 Washington Street in Hartford, Connecticut. Built in stages between 1874 and 1929, it is a good example of Romanesque architecture, and is reflective of the rapid growth on Hartford's south side. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1] It has been converted into senior housing.
Washington Street School | |
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Location | 461 Washington St., Hartford, Connecticut |
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Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
Built | 1874 |
Architectural style | Renaissance, Romanesque |
NRHP reference No. | 82004431[1] |
Added to NRHP | February 19, 1982 |
![](../I/HartfordCT_WashingtonStreetSchool1.jpg.webp)
Description and history
The Washington Street School is located in south Hartford's Barry Square neighborhood, occupying a roughly rectangular parcel bounded on the north by School Street, the east by Washington Street, and the south by New Britain Avenue. It consists of a series of brick and brownstone buildings, all two stories in height, connected in a rough U shape, with the legs of the U extending parallel to School Street. The main facade faces New Britain Avenue, which extends south westerly from Washington Street at an angle. Although they were built over a long period of time, the various sections of the building have a relatively unified Romanesque appearance, with arched brownstone entrances and occasional round-arch windows.[2]
The first school to stand on this site was built in 1842, when a one-room schoolhouse was built here. By the 1860s it was significantly overcrowded, but a new school was not built until 1874. A portion of this building is contained within the surviving structure. It was repeatedly enlarged, in 1890, 1895, 1899, 1906, 1917, and 1929. During this entire period, the school remained a district school, and was taken over by city administration when all schools were finally consolidated in 1934. In 1958 it was formally named the Michael D. Fox Elementary School, after a long-time principal and administrator. It had been vacated by the time of its listing on the National Register in 1982,[2] and has since been converted into senior housing.
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- "NRHP nomination for Washington Street School". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-12-16.