Blair in Washington County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Central School 1899
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Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 16, 2025
1. Central School 1899 Marker
With the founding of Blair in 1869, a school was started and graduated two students in its first class. By 1871, the school district had three teachers and 185 students, enough to justify a separate high school. Blair's original high school was built in 1873 at a cost of $15,000.
By 1899 a bigger school was needed, and the town voted in favor of constructing a new Central School at this location. The design included three usable levels over a brick basement, with enough space for a gym, library, classrooms and offices.
The large assembly hall was on the third level. The $40,000 construction cost included sidewalks, heating and $700 of furnishings.
By 1929, more space was needed, and a large addition to the school was constructed. By the late 1960s, many of the rural, one-room schoolhouses were consolidated into the Blair district, causing a classroom shortage.
The School District voted to buy land at 10th and Jackson Street for construction of a new, modern high school built in 1970 at a cost of $2.8 million. Central School was used as an upper elementary school until it closed its doors in 1989.
[photo captions]
1899 School
Addition to school
Laying the schools cornerstone 1899
Interior
Class of 1907
9th grade class circa 1920s
German
this page online
Blair High School football team 1914
Erected 2023.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.
Location. 41° 32.425′ N, 96° 8.179′ W. Marker is in Blair, Nebraska, in Washington County. It is on South 16th Street just south of Colfax Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is beside the sidewalk, directly in front of the 1929 Blair Central School addition. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 403 South 16th Street, Blair NE 68008, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Nebraska and in Greater Omaha. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and on the prairies. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Washington County Courthouse 1891 (within shouting distance of this marker); Congregational Church of Blair (within shouting distance of this marker); Blair City Hall and Fire Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Blair Firehouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Post Office (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pilot Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Blair State Bank Bldg. (approx. Ό mile away); Blair Depot 1880 (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Blair.
Regarding Central School 1899. National
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 16, 2025
2. Central School 1899 Marker
The marker is beside the sidewalk, directly in front of the 1929 Blair Central School addition.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Steven L. Shogrin, 10/30/1990:
Blair School, designed as a grammar school by John Latenser, Sr., is significant locally in the area of architecture. During his career John Latenser was responsible for the designs of a number of the most architecturally distinguished buildings in Omaha. Blair School is representative of Latensers public building designs and is the only example of work by Latenser in Blair.
Blair High School is a two story over raised basement brick structure designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The original H-plan, sheltered by a series of hip roofs, had two additions appended to the north. The first, a two-story gable-roofed brick Colonial Revival annex was added in 1929. It is a contributing resource for the purposes of national historic nomination. In 1967, a small non-contributing one-story flat-roofed brick structure was appended to the west face of the 1929 addition.
Blair School, located on a 1.8 acre level site, is bordered by Sixteenth Street, Colfax Street, Seventeenth Street, and South Street. The principal building fronts South Street. The 1929 addition, however, rotated the main entry to the east where it fronts Sixteenth Street.
The original building's H-plan is covered by a hipped roof, originally slate, butnow shingled. A gabled-roof frame dormer is centered on the roof's front slope while hipped roof frame dormers flank each end. The roof is crowned by two large vent stacks that seem to recall many regional barns. End pavilions divide the facade into three parts. The recessed central bay is dominated by a one-story arcaded entrance.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 16, 20253. Blair Central School NRHP MarkerThe National Register of Historic Places marker is mounted on the 1899 Blair High School building. It is on the right side of the east entrance.This property has been placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States Department of the Interior
Blair Central School
1899/1929
Stylistically, the original building employs a number of elements sympathetic of the late 19th century Romanesque revival. The brick arches above the windows spring from rusticated sandstone imposts. Likewise, the windowsills are sandstone. Other evidence of the style can be seen in the vaulted door openings. The raised first floor which recalls Roman temple design and the H.H. Richardson inspired Romanesque revival is pronounced by a sandstone water table. The high hip roof is further testimony to this style.
The 1929 addition, an L-shaped plan, was appended onto the northeast corner of the original building. This two-story on-grade Georgian style addition comprises more classrooms and a gymnasium. This change in style is important since it reflects the changing perceptions and attitudes in architecture. Furthermore, this addition is also indicative of changes in construction techniques. Steel beams span from steel columns in the interior to load bearing masonry walls along the perimeter. The floor is a concrete slab while the roof and ceilingare gypsum slabs. Spanning over the gymnasium is a system of steel trusses and steel cross bracings. Also of note is the introduction of a sub-basement corridor that serves as a mechanical and electrical chaseway.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 16, 20254. Blair Central School 1899 (east elevation)
Also see . . . Blair High School (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Blair High School is a public high school in Blair, Nebraska, United States. The 140,000-square-foot building was built in 1970 at a cost of $2.2 million.(Submitted on November 23, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
The school's former building, built in 1889, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1991. The original building was a two-story building in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with a two-story Colonial Revival addition in 1929 and a one-story flat brick annex added in 1969. The building has been converted to apartments, offices, and a social hall.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 16, 2025
5. Blair Central School 1899 (southeast elevation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 16, 2025
6. Blair Central School 1899 (south elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 83 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 23, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
