West Side School (G. Tipler photo, 2008)

West Side School (G. Tipler photo, 2008)

West Side School, interior (G. Tipler photo, 2008)

West Side School
718 W Phillip St., Rhinelander, Oneida County
Dates of construction: 1928, 1939, 1988
Architects: Smith, Reynolds & Brandt (1928); Law, Law & Potter (1939)

The West Side School opened in 1924. At the time, it contained four classrooms on the main level, with a playroom and utilities on the lower level. In 1939, an addition to the north more than doubled the size of the school and provided each grade with a separate classroom. Because the two portions are nearly identical, the overall appearance is of a single unified design, loosely based on the Collegiate Gothic style.

The current building replaced a small single room school and signaled the expansion of the city's public schools. It also reflected the growing preference for "graded" schools with buildings that had separate classrooms for different grades. The 1939 addition is notable for its dedicated kindergarten classroom, with a large bay window, a fireplace, and art tiles depicting fairy tales and nursery rhymes.

The school closed in 2005. In 2007, The Commonwealth Companies used federal rehabilitation income tax credits to convert the former school to apartments. The apartments are private residences; please respect the rights and privacy of the residents.