Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/11/1991
NRHP Listing Date 08/24/1992
NRHP Reference Number 92001032
Built in 1913, the Springfield School was designed by the Richmond firm of Carneal and Johnston, which has provided designs for scores of public buildings during its long and still-active career. Faced with Richmond granite, the exterior is in a modified Gothic style similar to that used by the firm for its buildings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. A two-room school was operating on this site as early as 1869. This was replaced by a brick building in 1880 that was later demolished for the present school. In 1948 the school became the first Richmond public school in the Church Hill neighborhood to admit black students. At that time the name was changed to Bowler School in honor of J. Andrew Bowler, a civic leader and teacher. The school was eventually closed but underwent conversion to apartments for low-income residents in 1996-97.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: February 18, 2021
