OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Smith School, 1745 Oregon St., has been added to the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
"Not every building is historic and not every historic building can get on the National Register, so this is an obvious distinction that really shows that this building is worthy of preserving," said Tim Hess, principal statistician.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. In May, Wisconsin’s Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously to place Smith School on Wisconsin’s Register of Historic Places and nominate it for the national registry.
"When we heard, we were excited," Hess said. "We knew this was something we told people that this is something we’re trying to do, the building is awesome, we felt it was worthy, and getting this done is a fun thing."
A celebration of the school’s National Registry designation was held Friday afternoon, where community leaders unveiled the National Registry plaque to be placed on the building. Plans for the redevelopment of the school into 31 apartment units were also available for review.
