Saint Paul Public School Historic Context

The Saint Paul Public Schools selected Hess Roise to write a historic context of the district. The project, funded by a Legacy Grant, studied the history of the Saint Paul Public Schools from 1890 to 1978 and developed a framework for evaluating schools for eligibility on the National Register of Historic Places.

The context covered major trends in school architecture as well as distinct phases of the district’s growth and expansion within the developing city. It also situated Saint Paul Public Schools within local and national education history, including the movement toward progressive education, desegregation, and school consolidation. The context will aid future analysis of school buildings, their history, and their significance.