The Old Kennebunk High School, also known as the Park Street School, is an historic former school building at 14 Park Street in Kennebunk, Maine. Built in 1922–23 to a design by Hutchins & French of Boston, Massachusetts, it is historically significant for its role the city's education, and architecturally as a fine example of a "modern" high school building of the period with Colonial Revival styling. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.[1]
Kennebunk High School | |
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| Location | 14 Park St. Kennebunk, Maine |
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| Coordinates | 43°23′07″N 70°32′06″W / 43.3853°N 70.535°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1922 |
| Architect | Hutchins & French |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000584[1] |
| Added to NRHP | August 24, 2011 |
Description and history
editThe Old Kennebunk High School is located on the southeast side of Park Street, roughly opposite its junction with Dane Street, on the south side of the village center of Kennebunk. It is a two-story brick building, with limestone trim. The main facade, facing the street, is seven bays wide, the outer two blind (windowless) facades of slightly projecting end wings. These end wings have a round-arch recess, filled with bricks at their centers on the first level, with a round limestone panel above on the second level. The central five bays are demarcated by pilasters, and have large sash windows on the second level. The outermost bays have small 2-over-2 windows at their center, and the next inner ones have sash windows with panels below. The original main entrance stands in the center bay, with a transom window and console hood above. Modern additions dating to 1954 and 1962 extend the original building to the rear.[2]
The school was built in 1921–22, serving as the town's third high school, replacing a former private academy building (built 1833, purchased by the town in 1850), and an Italianate combined grammar and high school built after that building was destroyed by fire in 1870. This school was built to adhere to new state standards for schools, and to attract tuition-paying students from surrounding communities. The school design, by Hutchins and French of Boston, was awarded after a design competition. The school served the town has a high school until 1939, when a new high school was opened to address overcrowding. This school was then renamed the Park Street School, and housed elementary grades until its closure in 2006.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Ives, Amy Cole; Hanson, Scott; Spreen, Melanie (2011). NRHP nomination for Kennebunk High School; available by request from the Maine SHPO