Old Gerald School - Gerald, MO - Former Schools on Waymarking.com

County of town: Franklin County
Location of school: W. 3rd St. & S. Cedar St., Gerald
Built: 1910
Architectural Style: Georgian Revival
Closed as School: 1951

"The Old Gerald School is located at 111 West Third Street, Gerald, Franklin County, Missouri and situated at the corner of West Third and Cedar Streets. The two story brick building was constructed in 1910 (an example of architecture influenced by the Georgian Revival Style). This style consists of a two story façade with the same number of windows on either side on a central doorway (Photo 1) with the entrance and stair hall at the center of the building.

"The Old Gerald School sits on a small level lot in the northwest portion of the city between a residential area and the commercial part. The entrance faces south onto West Third Street and the west of the building faces Cedar Street. There is a small lawn at the front, but the majority of the area is used for a wide sidewalk that leads to two concrete steps at the front double doors. A narrow sidewalk runs near and parallel to the building. During its original use, there was a dirt ball field to the west and outhouses for the students to the north. Bathrooms were added in the southeast corner of the basement, one for the boys and one for the girls. This was during the period of significance of the property. A bathroom was added to the first floor in 1997, after the period of significance. A large school bell was added on top of the metal hip roof shortly after the completion of the construction. Two brick chimneys on either side of the bell were used for the stoves that heated the building for the schoolchildren. Cast iron star shaped anchor plates were used for structural reinforcement. They served as washers for tie rods on the brick building to brace the walls and keep them from bowing.

"The two story brick building sits on a concrete foundation made from local creek gravel. Both the exterior and interior walls are brick. The building is a simple rectangular design typical of Georgian Revival architecture, measuring 66 feet by 36 feet. At the time of construction, there were thirty large double hung windows measuring 3 feet by 7.5 feet. Above each of the windows are segmented arches. The windows allowed for ventilation and natural light for the classrooms. When the Old Gerald School was constructed, there were an equal number of window to each side of the center doorway. When the building was owned by Beaufort Transfer Trucking Company, shortly after 1952 and after the period of significance of the building, two of the large windows to the left (west) of the entrance were removed and replaced with double doors. This made it possible for the company to utilize the building for storage. In 1948, during the period of significance, a kitchen was added to the rear (north) of the building so that warm lunches could be served to the schoolchildren. All that remains of the addition are five concrete piers and a tar line where the roof was attached to the brick. A dentilled cornice circles the entire building directly under the metal guttering." ~ NRHP Nomination Form

"The Old Gerald School, located at 111 West Third Street, Gerald, Franklin County, Missouri, is significant under Criterion A: Education. From 1910 to 1951, it was the only school in the area to offer eight grades plus two years of high school. It is significant under Criterion C: Architecture because it is the only example of Georgian Revival influenced architecture in Gerald. Its rectangular design with symmetrical window arrangement, central doorway, panel front doors topped with a transom, cornice with dentil work, hipped roof and large windows indicate the Georgian Revival influence on the school's architectural style. When the only one room schoolhouse in town was no longer sufficient for all the children, the current Old Gerald School was constructed in nearby in 1910. The period of significance ended in 1951 when a new school was built at the west edge of town and the old school building was sold. ~ National Park Service