Old Middletown High School

United States historic place

Old Middletown High School

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location| 251 Court Street, Middletown, Connecticut
Coordinates| 41°33′32″N 72°39′12″W﻿ / ﻿41.5588°N 72.6532°W﻿ / 41.5588; -72.6532
Built| 1894 - 1896
Jasper Tryon (carpenter); Watson Tryon & Son (masons)
Architect| Curtis & Johnson, Hartford
Architectural style| Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.| 85001826
Added to NRHP| August 23, 1985

The Old Middletown High School building in Middletown, Connecticut, in the United States, occupies the southwest corner of Court and Pearl streets. It is situated in a modestly scaled 19th century urban residential neighborhood. Although integrated into its surroundings, the old high school stands out because of its size and Romanesque Revival style.

## Significance

[edit]

From a postcard sent in 1909

Built in 1894-1896, this building was Middletown's second high school. The Hartford firm of Curtis & Johnson designed the structure in Romanesque Revival style. The building for which no expense was spared in materials or design, set an innovative standard for the educational facilities of its day.

The use of different materials (Pompeian brick, brownstone, and terra cotta) produces a rich textural effect on the exterior. A turret on the northeast corner, the use of round compound arches, and an overall asymmetrical plan are typical of Romanesque Revival.

In 1912 a large wing designed by Charles Scranton Palmer of Meriden was added to the south side of the building. This wing closely repeated the materials and stylistic elements of the existing structure. A second large wing containing a library, auditorium, and gymnasium was added to the west side in 1931. Although it incorporates some Romanesque details such as sound compound arched windows and utilized materials compatible to the original, the overall impression is of a separate and distinct construction.

The old high school is one of the few monumental civic buildings of the 19th century remaining in Middletown and the only one of the Romanesque style. It ceased operation as a high school in 1973.[1]

## Current use and condition

[edit]

In 1978 the high school was converted into elderly housing apartments and the structure remains in good condition.

In 2007 Middletown High School #2 off of Newfield Street was replaced by MHS #3 that was built in front of MHS #2 before #2 was torn down. The old building is still elderly housing on the corner of Court and Pearl Streets.

## See also

[edit]

* Connecticut portal

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Middletown, Connecticut

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old Middletown High School.

1. ^ Middletown, Connecticut Historical and Architectural Resources. Volume II, Card Number 71. John Reynolds. May 1978.

* v
* t
* e

Middletown, Connecticut

Historic districts|

* Broad Street
* Highland
* Main Street
* Metro South
* Middletown South Green
* Wadsworth Estate
* Washington Street
* Wilcox, Crittenden Mill

Education|

| K-12|

* Middletown PS
* Middletown HS
* Mercy HS
* Xavier HS

| Closed|

* Woodrow Wilson HS

|

Tertiary|

* Wesleyan University
* See template
* Middlesex Community College

Other|

* Middletown Adult Education

Landmarks|

| Indiv.
NRHP listings|

* Arrawanna Bridge
* Church of the Holy Trinity and Rectory and Bishop Acheson House
* Coite–Hubbard House
* Connecticut Valley Hospital
* Cemetery
* Eclectic Society Bldg.
* Nehemiah Hubbard House
* Middletown Alms House
* Old Middletown HS
* Old Middletown Post Office
* Jacob Pledger House
* Plumb House
* Russell Company Upper Mill
* Edward Augustus Russell House
* Samuel Wadsworth Russell House
* Saint Luke's Home for Destitute and Aged Women
* Sanseer Mill
* Starr Mill
* Starr Mill Road Bridge
* Town Farms Inn
* Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill
* Seth Wetmore House
* Captain Benjamin Williams House
* Woodrow Wilson HS
* Xi Chapter, Psi Upsilon Fraternity Bldg.

|

Other|

* O'Rourke's Diner (Main Street Historic District)
* Middletown Nature Gardens

Government|

* Connecticut Valley Hospital

| Closed|

* Connecticut Juvenile Training School
* Long Lane School

|

History|

* 2010 power plant explosion

This list is incomplete.

* v
* t
* e

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Topics|

* Architectural style categories
* Contributing property
* Historic district
* History of the National Register of Historic Places
* Keeper of the Register
* National Park Service
* Property types

Lists by state|

* List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state:
* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Lists by insular areas|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Minor Outlying Islands
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* Virgin Islands

Lists by associated state|

* Federated States of Micronesia
* Marshall Islands
* Palau

Other areas|

* District of Columbia
* American Legation, Morocco

Related|

* National Historic Preservation Act
* Historic Preservation Fund
* List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
* University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places

* National Register of Historic Places portal
* Category

*[No.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template