National and State Registers of Historic Places
Horace Mann Elementary School
824 State Avenue
Kansas City (Wyandotte County)
Listed in National Register
2012-01-20
Architect: Rose, W. W.; Radotinsky, Joseph
Category: school
Thematic Nomination: Historic Public Schools of Kansas
The Horace Mann Elementary School was designed by Kansas City, Kansas School District architect William W. Rose in a restrained Classical Revival style. Built in 1909, the three-story, symmetrical masonry building features classrooms arranged around a central stair tower and specialized rooms for manual training and assembly. Elements of the Classical Revival style include engaged pilasters, multi-light windows, a rusticated stone base, and classical cornice elements. Rose's successor, architect Joseph Radotinsky, designed a 1939 addition to the east end of the building, which blends well with the massing and materials of the original building. The building functioned as an elementary school through 1939 when it was converted to use by the Kansas City Junior College, which occupied the building until 1968. It is nominated for its local significance in the areas of architecture and education.
