Eugene Field School - Park Hills, Missouri - Former Schools on Waymarking.com

"The Eugene Field School, at 403 Glendale Street in Park Hills (St. Francois County) Missouri, is a two-story (plus basement), hipped roof, red brick, raised concrete foundation, school building. The original building, completed in 1907, forms the north, front wing and an early addition, probably completed by 1911, form the south wing and base of the T-shaped plan. It is located north of the downtown area, at the corner of Glendale and Field Streets, with the facade facing north toward Glendale. The building sits on the east end of a triangular shaped lot on a hillside, with three sides of the property surrounded by parking lots and landscaping. The school building retains a high degree of historic integrity, especially on the exterior since the replacement entry is the only alteration. On the interior it retains its original classroom configuration and walls, but many of the original details are hidden behind office partitions and dropped ceilings that were added in 1978.

The Late Victorian design of the school was a popular choice in the early twentieth century for educational and institutional buildings. The symmetry of the design, molded brick belt courses, arched openings, and polychromatic brick detailing distinguish this school building as one of the community's most prominent designs. The most defining characteristic, however, is the distinct horizontal divisions created by the pronounced belt courses along the sill lines of both floors and the segmental arched lintels of the second floor windows. The restrained detailing and symmetry of this school building reflect its utilitarian purpose as well as the working class nature of the community in which it was built...

Built in 1907, the Eugene Field School is locally significant under : Education for its role in furthering the education of children in Flat River, Missouri during the first seven decades of the 20th century. It is the last remaining historic schoolhouse in the community of Park Hills, which is the result of a recent merger of Flat River and three other small communities: Ester, Elvins and River Mines. Located in the heart of southeast Missouri's lead belt, the Eugene Field School was built in response to the severe overcrowding of local schools, brought about by an influx of workers and their families who moved into the area for employment with the local lead mining companies. Although Eugene Field School is one of the most imposing buildings in what had been Flat River, its simple, functional design is suggestive of the working class ethic dictated by the economic activity in Missouri's top lead-mining area during the early 20th century." - National Register Nomination

The building is in very good condition and has been converted to residential apartments. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Address: 403 Glendale St. Park Hills, Missouri Web Site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a log, you may include a photo of yourself at the former school, or a photo of the school, but it is NOT necessary. Please indicate the number of people who visited the waymark with you.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.