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The Emery School is an historic former school building at 116 Hill Street in
Biddeford, Maine Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford Poo ...
. Built in 1912-13 to a design by
Miller & Mayo Miller & Mayo, later Miller, Mayo & Beal, was a prominent architectural firm from Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The ...
of
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, it is historically significant for its role the city's education, and architecturally as a fine example of a "modern" elementary school building of the period. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on November 18, 2011. The building has been converted to residential housing units.


Description and history

The former Emery School building is located south of Biddeford's main business district, on a lot bounded by Hill, Birch, and Summer Streets. It is a two-story brick structure, trimmed in cast stone and granite, facing south toward Birch Street, separated by a paved parking area. The main facade is symmetrically arranged, nine bays wide, with two slightly-projecting entrance pavilions set one bay in from the ends. These pavilions are framed by rusticated brick pilasters with a stone cartouche at the top of the second floor. The entrances are set in cast stone surrounds consisting of pilasters supporting a modillioned cornice supported by scrolled brackets. Belt courses of stone demarcate the floors, and the cornice of the main hipped roof is of pressed metal.Beard, Christine (2011); NRHP nomination for Emery School (available by requested from the Maine SHPO) The Emery School was built in 1912-13 as part of a drive by the city to modernize its school facilities. Designed in the Colonial Revival style by the Portland firm of Miller & Mayo, it adhered to guidelines published by the state in 1904 for the required properties of elementary school buildings, which included detailed prescriptions for the use of materials and layout and size of classrooms, and replaced four smaller elementary schools. The school was used by the city until 1993, and served until 2007 as a childhood development center operated by a local Catholic church. The building has since been converted into residences.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Maine This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Maine. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in York County, Maine, United States. ...


References

{{National Register of Historic Places School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine School buildings completed in 1913 Schools in York County, Maine Education in Biddeford, Maine Buildings and structures in Biddeford, Maine 1913 establishments in Maine National Register of Historic Places in York County, Maine