National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

Southington Local School District Campus 

Name of Property 

Trumbull County 

Ohio 

County and State 

United States Department of the Interior 

National Park Service 

National Register of Historic Places 

Registration Form 

OHSPAB DRAFT 

This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How 

to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for 

"not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the 

instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a). 

1. Name of Property 

historic name 

other names/site number 

2. Location 


street & number 4432 State Route 305 

Chalker High School____________________________________________ 

N/A not for publication 

city or town Southington N/A vicinity 

state Ohio code OH county Trumbull code 155 zip code 44470 

3. State/Federal Agency Certification 

As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, 

I hereby certify that this _ nomination _ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards 

for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional 

requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. 

In my opinion, the property _ meets _ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property 

be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: 

national statewide _ local 

Signature of certifying official 

____________________________________ 

Date 

Title 

____________ ____________________________________ 

_____________________________________ 

State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 

In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. 

Signature of commenting official 

Title 

___________________ 

____________________________________ 

Date 

_________ 

State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 

1




Ohio 


4. National Park Service Certification 

I, hereby, certify that this property is: 

entered in the National Register 

determined not eligible for the National Register 

determined eligible for the National Register 

removed from the National Register 

other (explain:) 

________________________________________________________________________________ 

Signature of the Keeper 

____________________________________ 

Date of Action 

5. Classification 

Ownership of Property 

(Check as many boxes as apply) 

Category of Property 

(Check only one box) 

Number of Resources within Property 

(Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) 

Contributing Noncontributing 

private x building(s) 2 buildings 

x public - Local district sites 

public - State site structures 

public - Federal structure 1 objects 

Total 

3 

Name of related multiple property listing 

(Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) 

Number of contributing resources previously 

listed in the National Register 

0 

6. Function or Use 

Historic Functions 

(Enter categories from instructions) 

Education/school 

Recreation/culture 

Current Functions 


Education/school 

monument 

2



7. Description 

Architectural Classification 


Materials 



Ohio 


Late 19 th & Early 20 th Century Revivals/Neo- 

Classical Revival foundation: Stone/granite, brick, concrete block 

walls: Brick, 

Metal: aluminum, steel 

Concrete 

roof: Synthetic/Asphalt shingle 

other: 

Narrative Description 

(Describe the historic and current physical appearance of the property. Explain contributing and noncontributing 

resources if necessary. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the 

property, such as its location, setting, size, and significant features.) 

Summary Paragraph 

The Southington Local School District campus contains three contributing resources; the landmark Neo- 

Classical Revival style 1906 Chalker High School Building, 1910 Civil War Monument and the rambling 

Southington Elementary school building. The elementary building was developed in stages, with the first 

building constructed in concert with the Chalker Building in 1906-1907. A second, Tudor Revival style 

elementary building was completed in 1928-1929. These two separate buildings were connected by a 1952 

wing, with additional wings added c. 1956-57, 1969 and 1980. (Figure 2) While the building contains two 

additions that were constructed outside the period of significance, these additions were placed well to the rear 

of the historic buildings. This placement results in minimal visual intrusion and does not significantly diminish 

the integrity of the building or the site as a whole. 

The campus is situated on a slight rise less than one quarter of a mile west of the center of Southington 

Township, a small community of just over 3000 residents located at the intersection of State Route 305 (Smith- 

Nelson Road), State Route 534 and Warren-Burton (Old 422/Parkman) Road in Trumbull County. Historically, 

SR 305 served as the main east-west transportation route that linked Hiram,Garrettsville and Cleveland to 

Warren, the county seat. At that time, SR 305 connected to Warren-Burton Road at the center of Southington 

and continued on to Warren. The re-routing of Parkman Road (now U.S. Route 422) in 1948 by-passed the 

center of the community to alliviate a dangerous curve at the center of the township. As a result, SR 305 is now 

considered a secondary and scenic route. 

Southington Township is located in the west central section of Trumbull County, with Portage County to the 

west and Geauga County at the northwest corner. Farmington Township is directly north, Champion Township 

to the east and Braceville Township to the south. Southington is primarily rural in character, with increased 

residential development experienced post World War II. The center of Southington Township is located ten 

miles west of Warren and about fifty miles east of Cleveland. It rests in the eastern edge of the historic 

Connecticut Western Reserve. There is one National Register listed property within the township; the Charles 

Harshman House (NR Reference # 83002062), located at the northern edge of the township, although the 

ca.1820 Methodist Church is likely eligible. The nominated school buildings represent the only two-story, brick 

structures within the entire community. 

3




Ohio 


Historically, the primary concentration of population was toward the center of the community, but residential 

development has occurred throughout the township since early in the twentieth century, especially south of the 

center, in proximity to U.S. Rt. 422. Sanitary sewers and water lines have not been introduced to this portion of 

Trumbull County to date, instead, township residents rely on the use of dug water wells and septic tanks. While 

this has been adequate for steady residential development, it stifled commercial growth with little new 

construction occuring near the center of the township. The lack of city utilities also affected how residential 

development occurred. In contrast to the large, planned neighborhoods built in neighboring Champion and 

Warren Townships, Southington’s new housing construction consisted mainly of single family homes sited on 

varying sized lots along established state, county or township routes. Only two very modest allotments were 

constructed; Kyser’s Park Allotment and Janice Drive, both constructed mid-to late 1950s through the 1970s 

and each contained approximately fifteen to twenty homes. 

A description of the township in 1882, notes that the center had two stores, a post office, blacksmith shop, three 

church buildings and about ten houses. 1 A contemporary description is quite similar. Currently, the center of 

the community still retains the same two primary businesses that have operated there for over a century. Owned 

and operated by pioneer decendents, Hurds General store is located at the northeast corner of the intersection at 

the center of the community, just east of the school. Harshman’s Service and Towing has operated on the 

southwest corner since about 1910, run by generations of the Harshman family. Unfortunately, an early 

structure formerly located at the Harshman property was demolished early in the 1980s. Also located near the 

center is the 1959 post office, the 1820 Methodist Church,1878 Christian Church and ca.1949 volunteer fire 

department station. As a result, the community retains the same basic rural look and feel found there at the time 

of the construction of the centralized school campus. 

The school buildings face a sprinkling of residences across SR 305, with the ca. 1900 Methodist Church 

parsonage adjacent to the school property to the east, now a private residence. To the west of the Chalker 

Building, the open field was converted to baseball fields, beginning in the 1930s and a football field with 

running track and bleachers that date to the mid-1970s. These fields are still currently in use for the school high 

school athletic teams. A ca. 1980 playground is located to the north of elementary building. Overall, the setting 

reflects the historic and current use of the complex, sited within a small rural community. 

The campus is centered on the Civil War Monument which is flanked by the Chalker Building to the west, and 

two-story 1906 elementary building to the east. The 1928-29 Tudor Revival style elementary building was 

placed just to the north, (behind) the monument. The Chalker Building is encircled by a paved driveway, with a 

parking lot to the north; additional parking is to the east of the 1906 elementary building and between the 

monument and 1928 building. The property is landscaped with mown grass and shrubbery. The boundary of 

this nomination encompasses the area immediately surrounding the Chalker Building, elementary building and 

Civil War Monument and includes property originally donated by Newton Chalker, the high school’s namesake. 

This site has served as the sole high school and elementary campus for the community since their construction. 

Narrative Description 

1 H. Z. Williams, History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. Vol. II, (Cleveland, 1882) p. 519. 

. 

4




Ohio 


Chalker Building 

The Chalker Building is an impressive 75 foot by 48 foot two-story rectangular buff colored Neo-Classical 

Revival style brick building with asphalt-shingle hip roof and a gray rusticated granite and brick foundation 

topped with a sandstone water table. (Photo 1) Twin masonry chimneys with double arched caps pierce the roof 

on the east and west slopes. All windows are replacement nine-over-four double hung vinyl which match 

originals in profile; the first story windows top a stone sill and feature a rectangular dark brick panel under the 

stone lintel and keystone. (Photo 2) Projecting from the south (street) façade is a three quarter width two-story 

front-gable pedimented portico supported by four fluted twenty-five foot tall Ionic columns, manufactured in 

Chicago, which measure 33 inches in diameter. (Photo 3) Dentils and modillions adorn the pediment which also 

contains a simple nine-light fanlight within the bricked façade. (Photo 4) The concrete deck porch shelters the 

front entrance which consists of the original double-leaf panel single-light door with double eight-diamond light 

transom. A shouldered stone surround with keystone finishes the entrance. (Photo 5) Windows flank the 

centrally placed doorway. There are three matching symmetrically placed windows on the second floor. The 

façade of the building is of buff colored brick, manufactured in Sparta, Ohio, with distinctive reddish mortar, 

accented with dark brick quoins and matching detailing around the second story windows and both doors. 2 

Rusticated stone blocks form the knee wall upon which the concrete porch slab rests; six stone steps flanked by 

knee walls lead from the ten foot wide original slate sidewalk to the porch. Perched atop the knee walls are two 

stone lions, commissioned by Chalker and placed in 1910, at the same time as the Civil War Monument at a 

cost of $500.00. (Photo 6) 

A cornerstone on the southeast corner of the main block of the building reads ‘A.D. 1906’ and a bronze plaque 

on the south elevation identifies the architect as Alfred A. Dole and the Youngstown firm of Shoof & Hawley 

as contractor and builder. (Photo 7). 

The porte cochere on the east elevation originally served to protect the students from the weather as they were 

dropped off by transportation vans or busses and is supported by smaller but matching triple columns set atop 

rusticated stone blocks. Originally a small porch, accessed by stone steps led to the east side entrance. The 

porch and steps remain, but as enrollment grew, concerns about overcrowding on the small porch led the 

administration to in-fill the base of the porte cochere with concrete to form a larger porch for students to gather 

to enter the building. A balustrade adorns the flat roof. The east elevation of the building also contains 

symmetrically placed windows in addition to one arched stained glass window at the second floor landing. 

(Photo 8) The center bay projects and is topped with a dentiled, pedimented gable. 

The north elevation (rear) contains three bays. Also located on this secondary elevation is a circa 1978 open 

tread metal fire escape that replaced an early (possibly original) one. The decorative brickwork that surrounds a 

blind panel in which the fire escape door is located is consistent in size with the other second story windows, 

but the doorway is significantly smaller. Infill brick is a perfect match, however. A ground floor entrance 

which leads to the basement level is sheltered by a one story brick entryway. (Photo 9) 

The west elevation contains five bays with no entrance. The center bay projects and is topped with a dentiled 

pedimented gable. Fenestration and wall treatment on this side is consistent with the other elevations. (Photo 

10) 

The interior of the Chalker Building is largely intact and reflects the attention to detail executed at the time of 

construction. The interior plan is centered upon a foyer accessed by the entrance doors located on south and east 

elevations. The foyer retains the original mosaic tile floor, manufactured in Zanesville, which contains a scene 

2 

Chalker High School Dedicated, Warren Daily Tribune, 29 August 1907. p.1 

5




Ohio 


designed in New York based on Longfellow’s ‘Excelsior’ in the center. The baseboards within the original 

board of education office (the southwest corner of the building) are made of Italian marble, in the front foyer 

are Georgia Creole marble and interior steps of gray Tennesse marble. (Photo 11, 12) A chestnut staircase leads 

from the foyer to the second floor, interrupted by a landing halfway up which contains the stained glass 

window. (Photo’s 13, 14) Accessed from the foyer on the first floor are administrative offices through an 

arched opening flanked by chestnut pilasters adorned with applied medallions. Doors are original five 

horizontal panel with transoms, with chestnut surrounds. Although windows have been replaced, the interior 

surrounds have been retained as well as original size and profiles. 

Originally, the board of education meeting room, township library and high school classroom were located on 

the first floor of the Chalker Building, which had been built to accommodate a high school enrollment of 48 

students. The second floor held a public auditorium with stage, also referred to as a ‘public hall designed to 

hold 400 people’ in a newspaper article published in the Warren Tribune written about the opening of the 

building. Upon the completion of the second elementary building in 1928-1929, which included a modern 

gymnasium/basketball court and stage, the stage was removed from the Chalker building and the auditorium 

divided into classrooms. At the same time, the library was moved from the first floor to the second floor of the 

Chalker Building, replaced by administration offices on the first floor. In the 1980s the first floor was further 

divided into additional offices, with original hardwood floors, window and doors and surrounds, marble and tile 

left intact. (Photo 15) The partitions were sympathetically added without significant damage or loss to historic 

material and could be removed in the future. The original gasoline generated blast furnace has been replaced 

with modern heating and air conditioning, and gas lights replaced with electrical wiring sometime early in the 

1920s 3 The slate roof was replaced by asphalt-shingles probably in the 1970s or 1980s. 

The basement of the Chalker Building is accessed through a staircase located near the east entrance. The 

basement is utilitarian with polished slate floors and was traditionally used for classrooms and lab space; it also 

contains the only restrooms in the building. 

The Chalker Building continues to house classrooms and administrative offices for Southington’s school system 

and retains the feel and presence of a distinguished educational facility. 

Civil War Monument 

Southington’s Civil War Monument (1910) features the figure of a granite soldier at rest atop a banded twenty 

foot granite column which rests upon a tri-part granite square base adorned with brass plaques affixed on all 

four sides. (Photo 16) Bas relief panels on the base contain images of crossed sabers with a canteen that bears 

USA, crossed rifles and crossed cannons with cannon balls. (Photo 17) The plaques contain quotes, the names 

of the seventy Southington natives that served in the Civil War, the seven who served in the War of 1812 and 

two in the Revolutionary War. It is one of two monuments erected in Ohio that reference the abolition of 

slavery. 4 (Photo 18) 

The monument is flanked by four granite blocks topped with two original Civil War mortars and two recreated 

cannons. The original brass cannons have been placed in storage after one was stolen and later recovered in a 

field. The monument and cannons are located on a grassy lawn, about twenty-five feet from the edge of State 

Route 305 and flanked by the Chalker Building to the west, the 1906 elementary building to the east, and the 

1928-1929 elementary building to the north. (Photo 19) 

1906 Southington Elementary Building 

3 

All Lit Up: Southington Celebrates the Turning on of Electric Lights There, Warren Daily Tribune, 02 November, 1921. p. 1 

4 Cincinnati Historical Society Website: Ohio Civil War Monuments in Ohio, http://library.cincymuseum.org/civilwar7menu.htm 

6




Ohio 


The original elementary building,constructed in 1906-1907 reflects modest Colonial Revival elements in its 

fanlight and cornice returns. It is a nine-bay asphalt-shingle hip roof rectangular stretcher bond brick building 

with rusticated stone water table, window sills and lintels. Topping the roof is a centered cupola with four sided 

pointed bell curve. A front facing returned gabled projection contains a segmented fanlight in the gable, the 

three central bays and shelters the main entrance, double leaf paneled doors with single light and four-light 

transom. The entryway is accessed through a rounded arch topped with rusticated stone detail accessed by 

seven stone steps flanked by a brick kneewall with concrete cap. Original front doors are double leaf two panel 

over a single light topped by a four-light transom. The façade is symmetrical, with three bays on each story 

flanking the central projection. Basement windows are exposed and mirror the placement of upper windows on 

each elevation. All windows are replacement 1/1 which fit original openings. (Photo 20) 

The west elevation is simple three-bay with a flat roof basement level addition which was added in 1939. 

(Photo 21) The east elevation matches the west, and also contains an exterior iron fire escape and basement 

level entryway. (Photo 22) 

The north elevation contains a shed roof brick projection that connects the main rectangular building to a 1952 

one story addition that connects it to the 1928 elementary building. (Photo 23) This elevation also contains an 

open tread metal fire escape that appears to be earlier than the one on the Chalker Building. The interior of the 

original block of this building is intact and retains wooden floors in the classrooms, doors, door surrounds and 

cloakrooms. The centrally located staircase retains metal handrails and glazed tile wall cladding which reflect 

the1939 renovation project funded by the Public Works Administration. (Photo 24) The stairway is flanked by 

two large classrooms on both the first and second floors. (Photo 25) The main entrance on the south elevation 

leads to a central foyer adjacent to small cloakrooms that served the classrooms. 

The original use of the basement of this building was likely utilitarian, but during the 1939 project a kitchen 

was placed below grade to the west of the main building, covered by a flat roof at grade level. At the same time, 

the basement under the main block was improved to provide a cafeteria. The space was used for this purpose 

until the construction of a multi-purpose room in 1980. 

1928-1929 Tudor Revival Elementary Building 

The earliest expansion of the campus after the initial construction of the Chalker and elementary buildings in 

1906 consisted of a roughly H-plan Tudor Revival style elementary building constructed 1928-1929, slightly 

north and between the Chalker Building and 1906 elementary building. Its Tudor inspired architectural detailing 

highlights a style not commonly found on public buildings of the era in rural Trumbull County and features 

three sharply pitched one story front facing gables that project from a central gable roofed rectangular one story 

block, topped with a modest hexagonal cupola with louvered panels. The main doorway (replacement) is 

centrally placed and flanked by four windows. Two additional doorways lead from classrooms are protected by 

small, enclosed stoops. The roof is of replacement asphalt shingles. The front gables originally contained 

decorative half timbering over stucco and vertical windows, however these features were covered with 

aluminum siding in the 1960s. Original multi-paned wooden windows have been replaced by one over one vinyl 

awning windows. Original doors have also been replaced. (Photo 26,27) 

The interior is intact, with classrooms, hardwood floors, doors and door surrounds still in place, although 

dropped ceilings were added at an undetermined time. (Photo 28) A long, narrow (by contemporary standards) 

wood-floor hallway runs the length of the building flanked by classrooms. (Photo 29) This building also 

included a gymnasium that contained a theatrical stage at one end and folding wooden bleachers for spectators. 

The gymnasium has been partitioned into classrooms and offices, although the original hardwood flooring is 

intact and the stage is now used as a storage area. The central doorway located on the south (main) elevation 

originally led to a foyer which provided access to the gymnasium. This foyer has been incorporated into 

7




Ohio 


administrative offices.This building was attached to the 1906 building through the 1952 addition described 

below. Upon completion of this building, the original 1906 elementary building was abandoned and scheduled 

to be demolished. Before demolition occurred, the building was re-commissioned and the above referenced 

1939 renovation occurred. 

1952 Elementary Addition 

Projecting from the rear of the 1906 building, the wing constructed by 1952 also served to connect the two 

existing elementary buildings,which formed roughly an L-shaped facility. Typical of the period construction, 

the new addition consisted of a two-story, brick-clad wing with a central hallway flanked by classrooms with 

ribbons of aluminum clad three part windows with lower hoppers. Additional access to the building was 

provided by an entry on the east elevation which is sheltered by a flat roof stoop, supported by canted brick 

piers. The interior of this wing features painted concrete block and polished concrete floors with dropped 

ceilings. The four classrooms provided by this addition are spacious and well lit with natural light provided by 

the expansive windows. First floor space is partially below grade and includes classroom and storage space. In 

addition to classrooms, this wing provided new restrooms, a shop class and administrative offices. This addition 

links to several later one-story wings which project further north.(Photo 30,31,32) 

Continued expansion 

The next addition to the campus was constructed c. 1956-1957, placed to the north of the 1952 wing. This long 

narrow addition typifies school construction of the period. One story, flat roofed concrete block construction 

with brick cladding, this addition contains a polished concrete, wide central hallway flanked with eight 

additional spacious elementary classrooms, well lit with banks of horizontally oriented windows atop a single 

row of hopper windows that could be opened for ventilation. Still in use as elementary classrooms, this wing 

retains a high degree of integrity and appears much as it did shortly after construction. 

In 1969, four additional classrooms were added with the one story, brick clad kindergarten wing which was 

placed to the north of the 1957-57 addition, along with a concrete block and metal-clad gymnasium, which 

replaced the out-dated 1928-29 original gym. They are both still in use as originally intended. 

The most recent addition which was completed in 1980, consisted of a multi-purpose room, which could be 

used as cafeteria or auditorium, a kitchen and locker rooms. To that point, lunches were still served in the 

basement of the 1906 elementary building, prepared in the kitchen added in 1939. Overcrowding resulted in the 

lunch schedule beginning as early as 10:15 am and running to 1:30 pm. 5 The multi-purpose addition was 

designed by architectural firm, Wachter, McClellan and Kreitler and the principle contractor was Kreidler 

Construction Company out of Poland, Ohio. Since this building still functions as a school, spaces reflect their 

original purpose, classrooms are intact, as are the central hallways, entrances and window configurations. 

Alterations include the introduction of dropped ceilings and some window replacement. (Photo’s 27, 28, 29, 

30) 

The Chalker Building, Civil War Monument and 1907 original two story elementary building retain their 

original symmetrical placement and relationship to each other. The addition of the 1928-1929 Tudor Revival 

elementary building centered and to the back of the monument enhanced the original site. Subsequent additions 

to the 1907 building were placed behind the two earlier buildings, maintaining the visual integrity of the site, 

but providing much needed classroom space for a growing enrollment. 

The Southington Board of Education entered into an agreement with the Ohio School Facilities Commission in 

2005 to construct a new school facility. The new campus is currently under construction at a location 

5 Construction Begins for new Southington multi-purpose room, Warren Tribune Chronicle, 13 August 1979. p. 3. 

8




Ohio 


approximately three miles to the south of the center of Southington on State Route 534. The future use of the 

historic site is uncertain at this time. 

9



8. Statement of Significance 

Applicable National Register Criteria 

(Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property 

for National Register listing) 

Areas of Significance 



Ohio 


x 

A 

B 

Property is associated with events that have made a 

significant contribution to the broad patterns of our 

history. 

Property is associated with the lives of persons 

significant in our past. 

Education 

C 

Property embodies the distinctive characteristics 

of a type, period, or method of construction or 

represents the work of a master, or possesses high 

artistic values, or represents a significant 

and distinguishable entity whose components lack 

individual distinction. 

Period of Significance 

1906-1960 

D 

Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information 

important in prehistory or history. 

Significant Dates 

1906, 1907, 1910, 1928-1929, 1952, 1956-57 

Criteria Considerations 

(Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply) 

Property is: 

Significant Person 

(Complete only if Criterion B is marked above) 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

owed by a religious institution or used for religious 

purposes. 

removed from its original location. 

a birthplace or grave. 

a cemetery. 

a reconstructed building, object, or structure. 

a commemorative property. 

less than 50 years old or achieving significance 

within the past 50 years. 

Cultural Affiliation 

Architect/Builder 

Alfred A. Dole, architect (Chalker Building) 

Shoof and Hawley, builders (Chalker Building, 

Elementary Building) 

A. M. Allen and Company (1927-1928 Elementary) 

Period of Significance (justification) 

The period of significance begins at the time of construction of the Chalker Building and continues to the generally 

accepted 50-year cut off date. 

Criteria Consideratons (explanation, if necessary) 

N/A 

10




Ohio 


Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (provide a summary paragraph that includes level of signficance and 

applicable criteria) 

The Southington Local School Campus is eligible for National Register listing under Criteria A, at the local 

level, due to its association with the development and evolution of the township’s educational system. This 

development has made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of Southington’s history. The 

centralization of scattered one-room primary schools and addition of a high school curriculum initialized a 

fundamental shift in both the educational process and social development within the township. Prior to this, 

township youth who sought post-primary education were forced to obtain it outside of the community. Social 

development of the community was also influenced by the opportunities made available to students and parents 

through extracurricular organizations, literary and civic functions and sporting events sponsored by the local 

school. The buildings physically represent a critical period in the development of the Township through the 

dynamic early and mid-twentieth century. The collection of buildings and additions found on this site also 

represent one rural community’s response to demographic changes, including a growing population during the 

1920s, economic downturn of the Depression era and then the dramatic post World War II industrial and 

residential development and prosperity of the region. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Narrative Statement of Significance (provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance) 

The Southington Local School District Campus is eligible for listing on the National Register under Criteria A, 

as representative of the important development of the educational process in Southington Township that 

occurred early in the twentieth century. This development characterized the educational evolution from oneroom 

schoolhouses located throughout the township to the utilization of a centralized campus. This transition 

was encouraged on a state-wide level and was accomplished typically by townships in Trumbull County late in 

the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The campus further reflects Ohio’s general population growth and 

development through the early and mid-twentieth century which resulted in northeast Ohio’s position as a major 

industrial center mid-twentieth century until the manufacturing sector collapsed in the mid 1970s. Although 

industry did not locate within the township, its position midway between Cleveland and Youngstown, ready 

access to Akron, the Lake Erie shoreline, Ravenna Arsenal, General Motors complex built in Lordstown in 

1966, and the Ohio Turnpike facilitated steady residential development within the community. 

Early in the nineteenth century, Southington Township’s political and educational development mirrored other 

rural communities in Trumbull County. In 1817, sub-districts were created for polling, taxation and education 

and township trustees were elected. Each sub-district potentially housed an individual schoolhouse if the 

population justified it. A map from the 1878 Atlas of Trumbull County illustrates nine such sub-districts within 

Southington Township with a schoolhouse indicated in each, although whether they were all actually 

constructed is not known. (Figure 1) 

The timing of the eventual centralization of the township school system was also typical. Statewide, the early 

years of the twentieth century witnessed the consolidation of one room district township schoolhouses to newly 

constructed, centrally located facilities. According to The Annual of the Trumbull County Public School 

System, published by Trumbull County Public Schools in 1929, the first township in Trumbull County to 

centralize was Gustavus Township, located in the northern part of the county in 1898. 

By 1929, all of Trumbull County’s townships had centralized after Bazetta Township constructed its new 

building in time for the 1928-1929 school year. Neighboring townships that constructed centralized school 

campuses in roughly the same period as Southington include Newton Falls; 1921, (not extant) Vienna; 1920, 

(not extant) Braceville; 1915, (not extant) Champion; 1915-1920, (now used as an elementary school) 

11




Ohio 


Bloomfield; 1914, and Mesopotamia in 1923. A survey completed in 1981 of Trumbull County by the Trumbull 

County Planning Commission notes seven school buildings constructed 1906-1936, including Southington’s. Of 

those seven, one is extant, in addition to Southington; Mesopotamia’s school, heavily altered, is now used as an 

elementary building for the consolidated Mespo-Bloomfield school district. The development of neighboring 

Farmington Township’s educational system was atypical of rural townships in the county due to the early 

creation of the Farmington Normal School which became the Western Reserve Seminary in 1854. Farmington 

did construct a distinguished Neo-Colonial high school building ca. 1920, which was vacated when Farmington 

and Bristolville Township school districts merged and it now sits empty. Due to its proximity to Warren, and 

city utilities, Champion Township developed a substantial commercial base early and mid twentieth century, 

with accompanying residential growth. In 1965, Champion built a modern new high school and converted its 

historic (ca. 1915) high school to use as junior high and elementary facility. 

As a result of the consolidation of rural township school districts and new school facility construction within 

Trumbull County, Southington Township’s centralized school campus is the last one to still be used for its 

original use, and as illustrated above, most of the rural public high school buildings constructed during this 

period within the Trumbull County have been demolished or abandoned. 

The centralization of Southington’s school system was not only early compared to much of the rest of the 

county, but was also unique in that it was in part privately funded and resulted in a rare example of a privately 

endowed public high school in Ohio. Much like the rest of the state, the idea of centralization was controversial 

in Southington when it was first raised in 1903. Citizens were concerned about the potential loss of the control 

of local tax revenue as well as the issue of transporting their children outside their own immediate 

neighborhood. The question appeared on the Township ballot in that year and was soundly defeated. The issue 

was revisited in Southington in 1905 when township native, Newton Chalker (1842-1934) proposed to the 

township on September 14 th that he would build and donate a sophisticated, modern high school for the 

community, if the community would agree to centralize the school system and provide an elementary building. 

The high school building that he proposed and eventually built would also contain a fully stocked public 

library, community meeting room and auditorium. On October 10, 1905 a second vote within the community 

was held and this time the issue passed by a vote of 122 to 34. 6 

According to his unpublished autobiography, Chalker was born in Southington in 1842. He obtained his 

primary education within the township and, beginning in 1856, attended the Western Reserve Seminary 7 at 

West Farmington, five miles north of Southington, earning his board there as a laborer. His education would be 

interrupted by a lack of funds and family obligations until 1862 when he finally completed his secondary 

education in Farmington. At that time he enlisted in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry to serve in the Civil War. He 

trained at Camp Chase near Columbus and was sent to Harper’s Ferry early in July, 1862 where he joined about 

ten thousand other Union soldiers to protect the Potomac River crossing located there. In September, an attack 

by General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson resulted in his being taken prisoner and held until the end of the war 

when he was released and returned home to Southington. After his military duty, Chalker studied law until 

1868, finally establishing a law practice in Akron in 1869. In addition to his law practice, Chalker was also 

involved in real estate development in Akron, subdividing a twenty one acre tract land acquisition into 

residential lots in the ‘North Hill’ area. 8 In 1893, at the age of 51, Chalker retired and devoted his time to travel 

6 A Son of Southington Offers to give Large Sum for the Erection of a High School, Warren Daily Tribune, 11 October 1905, p.1. 

7 The Western Reserve Seminary was known as the Farmington Normal School until taken over by the Erie Conference of the 

Methodist Episcopal Church in 1854. The last commencement took place in 1906. None of the associated buildings are 

extant. 

8 

Harriet Taylor Upton, A twentieth century history of Trumbull County, Ohio, Volume I1,( Lewis Publishing Co. 1909), p. 424. 

12




Ohio 


and philanthropy. By 1905, he had taken two voyages around the world. 9 Never married, and with no children, 

Chalker generously supported his community. In addition to providing land for the school, funding the 

construction and furnishing the Chalker building, and Civil War Monument, he also donated a parcel of land 

adjacent to the school to the Methodist Church for its parsonage, provided additional financial support to both 

the Methodist and Christian Churches, and established a fund for the upkeep of Southington’s cemetery. 10 

Construction began on both the Chalker and elementary buildings in the summer of 1906. Chalker 

commissioned architect Alfred Dole to design the high school building. Very little information has been found 

about Dole. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects from 1902-1916, and a copy of his AIA 

membership application, supplied by that organization, notes that he began his architectural practice in 1898. 

By 1907, he was a partner in the firm, Weary and Dole, apparently partners with prominent Akron architect, 

Frank O. Weary. The application also lists two additional buildings designed by Dole; a residence built for J. E. 

Church in Akron and also a residence for Dr. J. W. Hillman. Neither of these residences appear to have been 

documented by survey. The membership application also references drawings for cell work in the East Wing of 

the Ohio State Reformatory, supplied by Dole. A search of Ohio Historic Inventories, National Register 

nominations and additional research yielded no additional information regarding his life or works. 

It is unknown if Dole also designed the more modest elementary building for the township, but it is likely that 

the same contractor, Shoof and Hawley of Youngstown worked on both buildings. Due to its more simplistic 

design, the elementary building was completed first. The cost to construct and equip the Chalker Building has 

been estimated at between $20,000 to $30,000. 11 

In contrast, the more modest and restrained elementary building provided by the community was constructed 

for around $7,000. 12 Overshadowed by the architecturally detailed Chalker Building, the 1906 elementary 

building is significant in its own right as representing the community’s response and commitment to the 

evolution of their educational system. Its rather austere façade quietly complements and provides balance and 

symmetry to the site. It also reflects the high quality of construction, shared with the Chalker Building, still 

actively housing students more than one hundred years after its construction, with no significant structural 

issues. 

The Chalker High School building, however, was designed and built to dominate the site and was immediately 

recognized as a landmark structure in the county. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Neo-Classical 

style. A revival of interest in classically inspired architectural was inspired by the World’s Columbian 

Exposition which was held in Chicago in 1893. The classical theme of the Exposition was executed through a 

series of colonnaded buildings which surrounded the central courtyard. The architectural examples found at the 

Exposition were publicized throughout the country during and after the event and renewed the public’s interest 

in Early Classical and Greek Revival influence. It became a popular style for communities to use to display a 

commitment to education and civic responsibility. 

The Chalker Building is a striking example of this classically inspired style located in rural setting. Since its 

construction, it has provided the identifying landmark of this small community. Dominating the façade of the 

Chalker Building is a central entry porch which extends the full height, but less than the full width of the 

building, typical of the Neo-Classical style. The main block is topped by a hipped roof, also typical of the style 

especially those built from 1900 to 1920. The building also exhibits the classical pediment and boxed eave, 

9 Autobiography of Newton Chalker, Unpublished, n.d. 

10 Last Will and Testament, Newton Chalker. 

11 Chalker High School Dedicated, Warren Daily Tribune, 29 August 1907, p. 1 

12 Ibid 

13




Ohio 


complete with dentils and modillions, which are topped with a gable roof projecting from the main hipped roof 

block. Supporting the pediment are four fluted Greek Ionic columns, resting on bases atop the concrete porch 

deck. The front entrance is framed by a shouldered stone surround with keystone. Symmetric, rectangular 

windows feature contrasting brick panels and keystone on the first story with contrasting brick detailing that 

matches quoins on the second story. In addition, presence of the arched stained glass window further associates 

this building with the Neo-Classical style. The porte-cochere exhibits matching, but smaller scale triple 

columns with a roof-line balustrade. To further enhance the dignity of this public building, Chalker 

commissioned matching stone lions to flank the main entrance stairs. Interestingly, a death notice published in 

the Akron Beacon Journal on April 21, 1921 noted that Chalker also “furnished the design for two large stone 

lions that adorn the entrance to the courthouse.” 13 The Summit County Courthouse, completed in 1908, was 

under construction at roughly the same time as Southington’s high school. Although the lions in Summit 

County appear to be slightly more stylized, they do bear a strong resemblance to Southington’s. 

The dedication of the Chalker Building on August 22, 1907 was attended by several thousand people; a 

significant gathering, considering the 1900 census listed the population of the township at only 750 residents. 

The event was chronicled on the front page of the Warren Daily Tribune who categorized it as marking “an 

epoch in the educational history of the town,” and described the structure as “one of the finest buildings in 

Trumbull County.” 14 In addition, Youngstown industrialist and author, Joseph G. Butler, in his History of 

Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Ohio, published in 1921, also called the Chalker Building “one of the 

finest rural high school structures in Ohio.” 15 

In addition to providing an impressive and modern high school, Chalker also envisioned his contribution to 

include cultural enrichment for this small community. He personally stocked the library with a rich assortment 

of books. Throughout the Chalker Building are large ornately framed oil paintings that depict photographs taken 

by Chalker of architectural landmarks from his European and Middle Eastern travels. 

Typical of many small, rural communities, the school campus also served as primary social and civic center for 

the residents. Terms of the deed signed by Chalker on August 17, 1907 which transferred ownership of the 

property and high school to Southington’s Board of Education stipulates that the Board “shall not permit said 

Auditorium to be used otherwise than for literary society entertainments, lectures, concerts, graduation and 

other educational purposes and refined social entertainment.” The stature of the landmark building, coupled 

with the fact that it was the only public structure within the community that was capable of holding several 

hundred people assured its use on holidays, for entertainment, and as a gathering place for special events. 

The celebration held early in November, 1921 as the community gathered at the school to celebrate the arrival 

of electricity to the township typified these community attended events. According to a newspaper article in the 

Warren Daily Tribune on November 2 nd , the crowd of several hundred people gathered on campus to witness 

the illuminating of strings of electric lights strung around the top of the Chalker Building and around the 

soldier’s monument. Following the big event, a cake walk was held in the auditorium and a display of electrical 

appliances was presented in the basement of the Chalker Building, with fund raisers held to help defray the cost 

of electrifying the building. 16 

Chalker retained an active interest in the development of the high school, even after he signed the deed over to 

Southington’s Board of Education. Additional conditions outlined in the deed included that the land conveyed 

13 Attorneys Pay Tribute To Newton Chalker, Akron Beacon Journal, (evening ed.), 21 April 1921, p. 1. 

14 Chalker High School Dedicated, Warren Daily Tribune, 29 August 1907, p. 1 

15 . Joseph Green Butler, History of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley, Ohio (American Historical Society. 1921), p. 631. 

16 All lit Up, Southington Celebrates the Turning on of Electric Lights There, Warren Daily Tribune, 2 November 1921. p. 1. 

14




Ohio 


shall always be used for a school house, school grounds and school uses, he also retained the ‘privilege’ of 

entering the grounds and buildings, advising the Board of Education and retaining the management of the 

public library that he placed in the Chalker Building. 

The senior class of 1909, consisting of seven students, was the first to graduate from the new Chalker High 

School. According to the terms of Chalker’s will and funded by the endowment that he provided, each Chalker 

High School graduate was awarded five dollars, a tradition that continues to the present. The endowment also 

pays to administer a competitive scholastic examination which provides the top grade earner $50, second place, 

$25, and third place $10. Although the amount is minimal by contemporary standards, it represented a 

significant investment in Southington graduates early in the twentieth century. 

The campus was enhanced with the installation of Southington’s Civil War Monument, dedicated on Memorial 

Day, May 30, 1910. Like the Chalker High School building, it was commissioned, installed and paid for by 

Newton Chalker at a cost of just over $2,000. After a day-long celebration at the site, Chalker presented the 

soldiers monument ‘to the board of education in trust for the people of Southington’ and also christened the 

grounds as ‘Monument Park’. 17 No information has been found regarding the designer of the monument or what 

company actually executed its construction. 

The monument features the ‘soldier at parade rest’ theme, the dominant theme for Civil War monuments in 

general. The granite soldier tops a banded twenty foot granite column which rests upon a tri-part granite square 

base adorned with brass plaques affixed on all four sides. Bas relief panels on the base contain images of 

crossed sabers with a canteen that bears USA, crossed rifles and crossed cannons with cannon balls. The 

plaques contain quotes, the names of the seventy Southington natives that served in the Civil War, the seven 

who served in the War of 1812 and two in the Revolutionary War. According to the Cincinnati Museum Center 

website, Southington’s Civil War Soldier Monument is one of only two in Ohio that addresses the issue of 

abolition in the verbiage on one of its bronze plaques. 18 It says, in part: “To the Honor and Memory of the 

brave boys of Southington who in the hour of their country’s greatest peril voluntarily relinquished the peaceful 

pursuits of civil life and patriotically served in the war for the preservation of our national union and the 

abolition of human slavery.” 

This monument represents a typical civic response to the community sacrifices made during the Civil War. 

Hundreds of Civil War Memorials were commissioned late in the 19 th and early 20 th century to commemorate 

local participation in the War. According to the same website there are eight Civil War Monuments in Trumbull 

County including one in Bristolville, Mesopotamia, Vienna and Southington and two in both Niles and Warren. 

Southington’s Civil War Monument is one of two documented on Ohio Historic Inventory (OHI) forms in 

Trumbull County. The other monument documented is located in Mesopotamia Township, ten miles to the 

north. According to OHI form number TRU0036001, Mesopotamia’s monument was sculpted in 1867 by 

Howard Brigden and Walter Supple. The design for this monument is similar to Southington’s in the tall granite 

column, but Mesopotamia’s is topped by an eagle. 

Since its installation in Southington, Monument Park has continued to be a focal point for the community, 

serving as the terminus for annual Memorial Day parade and location for township functions. The monument 

contributes to the significance of this site by representing the response of the members of this community and 

Newton Chalker to the memory of the sacrifice of Southington’s residents during periods of conflict. 

17 Gift of Hon. Newton Chalker to Southington is Dedicated with Appropriate Excercises Monday, Warren Daily Tribune, 31 May 

1910, p. 1. 

18 http://library.cincymuseum.org/cwdetails7help.htm 

15




Ohio 


The placement of Southington’s monument between the high school and elementary building is significant as 

well. Although ample space existed at the center of the community or at the cemetery, Chalker placed it 

prominently on the school campus between the high school and elementary building to ensure that 

Southington’s youth were reminded daily of the sacrifices made by community members in service to their 

country. This site was carefully considered and preserved over the years as new buildings and additions were 

added to the campus. 

The two original buildings adequately provided for Southington’s educational needs until increased enrollment 

resulted in overcrowded conditions for students within the district early in the 1920s. The community responded 

by passing a bond issue in 1927 to build a new elementary building. According to construction documents held 

at the Southington Local School District administration office, the Board of Education commissioned architect 

A. M. Allen and Company to design the new building. The result was an H-shaped, Tudor inspired one-story 

common bond brick building, constructed between the existing two structures and a little to the north of the 

Civil War Monument. The steeply gabled roofline, half-timbering detailing and common bond brick 

construction complemented the ornate Chalker Building and stately elementary building. It contained 

administrative offices, a gymnasium with stage, five new classrooms, boys and girls restrooms and mechanical 

components located in the basement. While the Tudor Revival style was generally popular at the time of this 

building’s construction, Southington’s elementary school building was a rarity for public buildings constructed 

in rural Trumbull County at the time for its architectural detailing. No others have been documented by the 

Ohio Historic Inventory or by any other known survey. 

When the new elementary school building was complete in 1928, the original elementary (1907) building was 

abandoned and its demolition was discussed. However, an article dated September 2, 1930 from the Warren 

Tribune Chronicle noted that “the old grade school at Southington is not at present occupied, but it is predicted 

that as the enrolled pupils overflow from the new school and high school, this building may again be called into 

use” indicating that student enrollment quickly outpaced the development of the campus. 

This development is not surprising when considering Trumbull County population growth during the early 

twentieth century; 1910 census records indicate 52, 766 residents in the county; by 1920 the total was 83, 920, 

by 1930 it had jumped to 123, 063 and in 1940 the total was 132,315. Census records illustrate that, while Ohio 

as a whole experienced phenomenal growth, northeast Ohio in particular led the state in new housing 

construction 1940-1970. While Southington’s population growth was more modest than the county, it still 

reflected the trend; by 1930 the community had grown to include 1,066 residents; up from 750 in 1900. 

The article in the Tribune proved correct in predicting that the 1907 building would be called back into use, 

when in 1938, the Southington Township Board of Education sought Federal assistance and entered into an 

agreement with the Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works (FERA) for a renovation project 

involving updates to the original 1907 elementary building, abandoned almost ten years earlier. 

Created in 1933, FERA was charged with distributing 500 million dollars in federal funds to state agencies as 

grants. The PWA funded 45 percent of the Southington school project’s cost, which was specified not to 

exceed $12,273.00. A hand written daily progress log currently on file at the school documents on-site progress 

of the work conducted. The project, which was completed in the summer of 1939, included re-glazing and 

refinishing the windows and in what was undoubtedly a response to fire safety, the central wooden staircase 

was replaced with concrete, as were the hallways, glazed tile brick cladding was applied in the stairwell and 

foyer and a larger entrance to the rear of the building was added. At the same time, a modern kitchen and 

recreational area was added to provide hot lunches for students, modifications that reflect period concern for 

16




Ohio 


safety, nutrition and physical education. The cafeteria and kitchen continued to be used until the multi-purpose 

room was added to the facility in 1980. This area is now used for the art class and storage. 

The general prosperity enjoyed by Ohioans during the 1940s and 50s extended to Trumbull County and rural 

Southington Township. By 1952, the County’s population had grown to 158,915 and Southington’s to 1,559, 

boosting enrollment at the school enough that construction began on a two story brick-clad wing on the north 

(rear) side of the original 1907 elementary building to provide additional classrooms and accommodate 

evolving educational standards. 

Southington resident Joan Bauer graduated from Chalker High School in 1949 and returned in 1953 to the 

township to begin her teaching career, which spanned thirty five years at the district. She recalls that in that first 

year, her second grade class included 53 students. “It took me half the day just to take the boys to the restroom,” 

she recalls. After that year, the first and second grades were separated into two groups. She also recalls in the 

1950s when elementary students were picked up by busses in two stages. The early students had play time until 

the late students arrived to begin classes. After only a year of this schedule, bus routes were changed so that 

high school students were picked up early and all grade school students later. In addition, crowded conditions 

experienced late in the 1950s and early 1960s resulted in some classes being held in the adjacent Town Hall, 

one of the one-room schoolhouses replaced by centralization. 19 

Original drawings for the 1950s era additions illustrate how advancing technology and shifting educational 

concepts at that time resulted in the inclusion of specialized spaces designated for particular curriculum. 

Included in the plans (and incorporated in the actual construction) are music and art rooms as well as a ‘shop’ 

class and home economics room used for vocational training, along with modern restrooms and a new entrance. 

This additional also linked the 1907 building with the Tudor 1927-28 elementary building. Although the 

exterior brick cladding used in 1952 complimented the 1907 and 1920s era buildings, interior detailing provides 

an interesting contrast. The narrow wooden hallways, plastered walls and heavy dark wood doors and surrounds 

from the 1920s elementary building give way to polished concrete floors, painted cement block walls and stark 

minimal door treatments in the 1952 wing. (Photo 29) 

The school campus continued to be the focus of social and recreational activities through the 1950s and 1960s. 

In addition to sporting events that continued to be widely attended, the campus hosted additional events. The 

annual ‘Homecoming’ celebration included a football game, dance and festival, complete with handmade 

student projects, produce displays, a parade and game and food stands. 

The wing added ca. 1956-1957 was typical of school building construction of the period, it was a streamlined, 

unadorned one-story, flat roofed brick-clad cement block construction wing that provided additional elementary 

classroom space. By 1969, a kindergarten curriculum was added to the primary grades, resulting in the 

construction of the kindergarten wing. At the same time, the small, outdated 1928-29 gymnasium and locker 

rooms were replaced with a concrete block and metal gymnasium located to the north of the earlier 1960s 

addition. Prosperity continued through the 1960s and into the 1970s for both the county and township. In 1966, 

General Motors located their massive assembly and metal stamping plants in nearby Lordstown Township, 

providing additional employment opportunities. By 1970 there were 232,579 residents in the county and 3,722 

in Southington. 

The final addition to this campus was completed in 1980 with the addition of a multi-purpose room/cafeteria, 

which eased the strain placed on the small outdated 1939 cafeteria. 

19 Joan Bauer, Interviewed, 11 October 2010. 

17




Ohio 


Beginning in the early 1960s, the consolidation of small, localized school districts was seen by state 

administrators as more efficient and economical to operate. As a result, many of Southington’s comparably 

sized neighboring communities combined their schools; in 1968, Bloomfield and Mesopotamia Townships 

merged their districts. To the south of Southington, Braceville consolidated with Warren Township 

(Leavittsburg) in 1970 to create the LaBrae school district. Later, in 1988, Farmington and Bristolville, to the 

north of Southington consolidated as well. Further northeast, Kinsman, Gustavus, Hartford and Vernon 

Townships merged schools to form Joseph Badger school district. A portion of Mecca, Greene and Johnstown 

Townships merged to form Maplewood Local, the southern portion of Mecca and Bazetta comprise Lakeview 

Local, and Mathews Local consists of Vienna and Fowler Townships. (Figure 3) Historically, strong local 

support for property tax levies and a deep seated sense of community has enabled Southington’s school to 

remain independent. 

This intact campus is representative of the response of Southington Township to changing demographics 

expressed by an increasing population and student enrollment. It reflects the evolution of the site from when the 

citizens voted to centralize their isolated one-room neighborhood schoolhouses in 1905, added the stylish Tudor 

inspired elementary building in the prosperous 1920s, initiated PWA aided modernization during the 

Depression and accommodated the phenomenal growth and development of the region through the 1940s, 50s 

and 60s. 

The site retains sufficient essential physical features, despite some alterations, to convey its association with the 

evolution of Southington’s educational system over the past one hundred years. The striking Chalker High 

School Building and distinguished 1906 elementary building flank the Civil War Monument, reflecting the 

exact design envisioned by Newton Chalker. Later additions illustrate the natural evolution of a growing 

community and school system. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Developmental history/additional historic context information (if appropriate) 

The first permanent settlers in the portion of the Connecticut Western Reserve that would become Southington 

Township were Luke Viets and his wife, James Chalker, his wife and two children, and Roderick and Horace 

Norton all from Litchfield County, Connecticut on 1805. They were soon joined by more settlers, also mostly 

from Connecticut. The first school term in Southington is said to have been ca. 1814 in a double-log home 

located about three quarters of a mile southeast of the center of the Township. 

By 1817, the Township had been organized into nine election districts, which also served as individual school 

districts for the community. In 1824, the first attempt to organize and fund the construction of a permanent 

school was made. Thirty of the original settlers pledged from between one and eight days labor to help 

construct a schoolhouse at one of two places, either the center of Southington Township or at another nearby 

location. This first attempt apparently did not yield enough commitment, because a second petition was 

formed. This petition contained pledges of not only labor, but material as well. In around 1825, a log 

schoolhouse was built near the center of the township, later replaced by a non-extant brick building. 20 As 

additional settlers populated the township, localized one-room schoolhouses were built as needed in the nine 

township school districts. The only known one that remains is now used as the community Town Hall, situated 

on a lot adjacent to and northeast of the Southington school campus. 

In general, development of the township was slow in comparison to other nearby communities. Factors that 

inhibited robust development included a lack of water, limited railroad access and the close proximity to 

20 H. Z. Williams, History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. Vol. II, (Cleveland, 1882) p. 523-524. 

18




Ohio 


Warren, the county seat. Although mainly a farming community, Southington housed several cheese factories, a 

tannery, harness makers, carpenters, and a thriving sawmill. 21 

The Township’s early educational system paralleled other rural communities throughout the county. While 

Southington’s sub-district based school system provided an adequate primary education, further education was 

gained by attending either the Western Reserve Seminary, first established as the Farmington Normal School in 

1831, located five miles to the north, Warren City schools five miles east, or Hiram College, located ten miles 

to the west. This system served the community until 1906 when Southington’s district schools were centralized 

and the high school added. 

Ohio’s explosive population between 1800 and 1925 in great part facilitated the discussion of educational 

reform statewide. From the widely distributed settlements with a population of 45, 365 in 1800, Ohio had 

grown to 1, 980,329 in 1850, and 4, 157,545 in 1900. 22 In addition, census records indicate an increase in 

population for Trumbull County, specifically, of 6,195 residents from 1900-1910. 23 

Development of the population in Ohio prior to 1850 was primarily rural agricultural in nature, with only 151, 

375 or 7.6 per cent of the population inhabiting urban centers by the middle of the century. As a result, early 

educational legislation focused on sub-district school organization, found in rural communities, including how 

these entities were funded and administered. The autonomy of the sub-districts was based on the collection of 

tax revenue and distribution of funding. As the density of farming communities increased, State lawmakers 

scrambled to address increasing complexities of administering more students as well as regulating coursework 

through a series of legislative acts, amendments and appeals. 

Early in the second half of the nineteenth century serious discussion about reorganizing the administration of 

rural schools occurred. The Act of 1853 attempted to unify the funding for districts and sub-districts within 

townships by consolidating the power of taxation from each individual sub-district to a township board of 

education that would estimate the funds needed for the upcoming year, certify this estimate to the County 

auditor who assessed the amount of taxable property in each district. 24 This Act was largely unsuccessful due 

to local opposition by sub-district directors who sought to retain financial control of their specific entity. The 

Workman Act of 1892 effectively abolished not the sub-districts, but the sub-district directors. This legislation 

placed financial control of the township to the township’s elected school board. However, this Act was partially 

nullified in 1898 by legislation that provided for ‘modified’ sub-district organization. 25 

However, the door was opened for true centralization of township school systems when Kingsville Township in 

neighboring Ashtabula County petitioned Ohio’s general assembly for permission to appropriate funds directly 

from taxes levied in their township to transport students living in district sub-districts within the township from 

their homes to a centralized high school in 1894. 26 The change in funding options was significant and followed 

years of conflict over who should control local educational purse strings and curriculum; individual sub-district 

directors or one comprehensive township elected board of education. The centralization movement began in 

earnest in Ohio when the General Assembly passed a law in 1898 that provided each district in Ohio the right to 

21 Upton, p. 570. 

22 Nelson L.Bossing, History of Education Legislation in Ohio, 1851-1925, Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, Volume 

39, January 1930, Number 1, pp. 78-219. 

23 http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/oh190090.txt 

24 Ohio Teachers’ Association, Centennial Committee, A History of Education I the State of Ohio. A Centennial Volume, (The 

Gazette Printing House, Columbus, Oh. 1876). p. 40. 

25 Ohio Department of Education, Study of Local School Units in Ohio, Columbus. 1937. p.26 

26 Ibid p.63-65. 

19




Ohio 


centralized. By the 1912-1913 school term, the northeast agricultural division of Ohio already had 59 

centralized school districts; by 1914 there were 80. 27 

In practice, the transformation of the educational system in Southington from sub-district one room school 

houses to a consolidated centralized location was consistent with development that occurred throughout the 

state at about the same time, although the implementation was distinctly different due to the private funding that 

paid for the construction of the high school building, the site for the school and subsequent endowment 

provided by Chalkier. 

Chalker’s unpublished autobiography relates the hardship he endured as a young man to gain higher education 

in rural Ohio during the mid nineteenth century and reveals possible motivation for his sense of civic duty and 

concern for the education of Southington’s youth. Through his endowment, Chalker also significantly impacted 

the continuing development of a system of higher education in this small rural community. He provided not 

only the funding to build the first high school, but also the incentive for the community to build an 

accompanying elementary building. In addition, his contributions illustrate his commitment to the ideal of 

universally available, excellent public education, even in the most rural regions of Ohio. 

Typical of the centralized school campuses constructed in rural unincorporated communities in Trumbull 

County the high school provided the focal point for recreation and social activities. School yearbooks provide a 

snapshot of the organizations for students that promoted civic and literary accomplishments. They included 

glee, drama and debate clubs, the marching band, orchestra and math, history and spelling clubs. These groups 

provided the opportunity for programs, events and competitions for the students, which were attended by 

parents and family members. The addition of a modern gymnasium, part of the 1928-1929 elementary building, 

quickly initiated the formation of a basketball team to compliment baseball and track teams already in place. 

These activities offered low or no cost, family-oriented recreation to communities with limited local options. 

Friendly, but sometimes fierce sporting rivalries developed between townships, resulting in capacity crowds in 

the small gymnasiums. In addition to student organizations, parent involved clubs developed. The local Parent- 

Teacher Organization (PTA) was active in supporting the local school, assisting teachers in their classrooms 

and providing input into curriculum. 

As a result of centralization within small, rural communities like Southington, social and recreational 

development evolved to center on school-related or sponsored activities. Limited commercial and recreational 

development within the community reinforced this trend, as did the central location of the facility. 

The buildings constructed at the time of centralization continue to serve in their original capacity, as 

educational facilities. The Chalker Building was an outstanding example of a high school building at its 

construction and is still recognized as a Trumbull County landmark at the present. With the construction of 

many new school facilities in Trumbull County, and resultant demolition, the Chalker High School and 

Southington elementary building offers the best preserved rural township centralized school campus in 

Trumbull County. 

27 State of Ohio School Survey Commission. Report to the Governor of Ohio State School Survey Commission. A Cooperative Field 

Study conducted by Horace L. Brittain. An Intesive Study of 659 rural village schools in 88 counties and an extensive study of 9000 

school rooms in 395 school systems (The F. J. Heer Printing Co. 1914, Columbus, Ohio), p.289. 

20




Ohio 


9. Major Bibliographical References 

Bibliography 

Bossing, Nelson L. History of Education Legislation in Ohio, 1851-192. Columbus, Ohio, 1930. 

Butler, Joseph Green. History of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley, Ohio. American Historical Society. 

Columbus, Ohio. 1921. 

Cincinnati Historical Society Website: Ohio Civil War Monuments in Ohio, 

http://library.cincymuseum.org/civilwar7menu.htm 

Daily Progress by the Clerk of the Works, Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, 1938. 

held at the archives of Chalker High School, Southington, Ohio 

http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/oh190090.txt 

Interview: Mrs. Joan Bauer, by Susan Tietz. 2010 

Last Will and Testament of Newton Chalker 

McCormick, Virginia. Educational Architecture in Ohio: From One-room Schools and Carnegie 

Libraries to Community Education Villages. Kent State University Press. Kent, Ohio. 2001 

Ohio Department of Education. Study of Local School Units in Ohio. Columbus. 1937. 

Ohio Historic Inventories 

Ohio Teachers’ Association, Centennial Committee. A History of Education I the State of Ohio. A 

Centennial Volume. Columbus, Ohio. 1876. 

State of Ohio School Survey Commission. Report to the Governor of Ohio State School Survey 

Commission. A Cooperative Field Study conducted by Horace L. Brittain. An Intesive Study of 659 rural 

village schools in 88 counties and an extensive study of 9000 school rooms in 395 school systems. 

Columbus, Ohio. 1914. 

Trumbull County Public Schools, 1929 Annual of the Trumbull County Public School System. Trumbull 

County, Ohio. 1929. 

Upton, Harriet Taylor. A Twentieth Century History of Trumbull County, Ohio. Chicago. 1909. 

Warren Daily Tribune, various dates, Warren Tribune Chronicle, various dates 

Williams, H. Z. History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counies. Vol. II. Cleveland. 1882. 

Previous documentation on file (NPS): 

preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67 has been 

requested 

previously listed in the National Register 

previously determined eligible by the National Register 

Primary location of additional data: 

x State Historic Preservation Office 

Other State agency 

Federal agency 

Local government 

21




Ohio 


designated a National Historic Landmark 

recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________ 

recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # ____________ 

University 

Other 

Name of repository: 

Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): _TRU266911, TRU0075211, TRU0075111, TRU0075011______ 

10. Geographical Data 

Acreage of Property 3.95 acres 

(Do not include previously listed resource acreage) 

UTM References 

(Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 

1 17 503485 4572857 3 

Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing 

2 4 

Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing 

Verbal Boundary Description Using an imaginary line 45 feet west of the western elevation of the Chalker Building, 

begin at the north curbline of State Route 305, go north 485 feet, then proceed east for 335 feet, then go south 476 feet, 

then follow the north curbline of SR 305 back to the beginning point. 

Boundary Justification The boundaries include the historic Chalker Building, 1907 elementary building (with attached 

additions) and the Civil War Monument and Monument Park. These are the original structures associated with the school 

benefactor, Newton Chalker. This boundary excludes non-historic features including the playground, ball fields and bus 

garage. 

11. Form Prepared By 

name/title Susan Tietz 

organization date August 1, 2010 

street & number 3095 Warren-Burton Road telephone 330-307-7754 

city or town Southington state Ohio zip code 44470 

e-mail sztietz@aol.com 

Additional Documentation 

Submit the following items with the completed form: 

• Maps: A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. 

A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all 

photographs to this map. 

• Continuation Sheets 

• Additional items: (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) 

22




Ohio 


Photographs: 

Submit clear and descriptive black and white photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels at 300 ppi 

(pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. 

Name of Property: Southington Local School District Campus 

City or Vicinity: Southington Township 

County: Trumbull 

State: OHIO 

Photographer: Susan Tietz 

Date Photographed: Various, 2007-2010 

Description of Photograph(s) and number: 

1 of 37. South elevation of Chalker Building. View to north 

2 of 37 Window on south elevation of Chalker Building. View to north 

3 of 37 Detail of column on porch on south elevation Chalker Building. View to nw 

4 of 37 Detail pediment on south elevation of Chalker Building 

5 of 37 Detail main entrance to south elevation Chalker Building. View to north 

6 of 37 Detail lion at main entrance to south elevation Chalker Building. View to north 

7 of 37 Plaque on south elevation Chalker Building 

8 of 37 East elevation of Chalker Building. View to west 

9 of 37 North elevation of Chalker Building. View to south 

10 of 37 West elevation of Chalker Building. View to east 

11 of 37 Interior main foyer first floor Chalker Building. 

12 of 37 Detail mosaic tile in foyer first floor Chalker Building. 

13 of 37 Newell post staircase in foyer first floor Chalker Building. 

14 of 37 Stained glass window on landing east side Chalker Building. 

15 of 37 Detail wood floor second floor classroom Chalker Building. 

16 of 37 View of Chalker Building and Civil War Monument. View to northwest 

17 of 37 Base of Civil War Monument 

18 of 37 Plaque on Civil War Monument 

19 of 37 View of Civil War Monument, 1907 elementary building and 1927-28 elementary building south and 

west elevations. View to northeast 

20 of 37 South elevation of 1907 elementary building. View to north 

21 of 37 West elevation of 1907 elementary building, 1952 addition. View to northeast 

22 of 37 East elevation of 1907 elementary building and 1952 addition. View to west 

23 of 37 North and west elevation of 1907 elementary building, west elevation 1952 addition. View to se 

24 of 37 Interior foyer 1906 elementary building, view to south 

25 of 37 Interior 1906 elementary building classroom, view to southeast 

26 of 37 South elevation 1928-1929 elementary building. View to north 

27 of 37 West elevation of 1928-1929 elementary building. View to east 

28 of 37 Interior classroom 1928-1929 elementary building. View to southeast 

29 of 37 Interior hallway 1928-1929 elementary building. View to east 

30 of 37 East elevation of 1907 elementary building, 1952 addition, 1960s additions. View to nw 

31 of 37 East elevation of 1952, 1960s additions to 1907 elementary building. View to southwest 

32 of 37 Interior early 1950’s addition hallway. View to north 

33 of 37 Interior 1950’s addition, hallway. View to north 

34 of 37 North elevations of 1950s, 1969, 1980 additions. View to southwest 

35 of 37 North and west elevations of 1980 multi-purpose addition, 1969 gymnasium and 1928 elementary 

building. View to southeast 

36 of 37 West and south elevations of 1969 gymnasium and connector. View to southeast 

37 of 37 Streetview of both buildings. View to northwest 

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate 

properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a 

benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.). 

Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18 hours per response including time for reviewing 

instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of 

this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. fo the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC. 

23

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?