The Old Arkansas City High School, now known as Ireland Hall and part of the

Cowley Community College Cowley College is a public community college in Arkansas City, Kansas. It also operates locations in nearby Wellington, Winfield, Mulvane, and downtown Wichita. In addition to an online presence the college offers on-site courses at nine area ...

campus, is located at 300 W. Central Street in

Arkansas City, Kansas Arkansas City () is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. The n ...

. It was built in 1890–91. 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 ...

in 1974.

History

The building was designed by architect

Charles Sumner Sedgwick Charles Sumner SedgwickIn some sources, his name has been incorrectly presented as Charles Sedgewick (1856 – March 12, 1922) was an American architect based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Personal life He was born in New York State. His wife, ...

. It was previously called the Arkansas City High School. With and was home to

Arkansas City High School (Kansas) Arkansas City High School is a Secondary education in the United States, public high school in Arkansas City, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Arkansas City USD 470 school district. Similar to the nickname for the city, the high school is ...

. The marble and stonemasons of the building were Charles Fredrick Rothfus and Antonio and Joseph Buzzi.Ferguson, Heather D. ''Arkansas City: People, Places, and Events''.

Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publi ...

, 2011. , 9780738560496. p
112
Construction began on July 10, 1890, and it was occupied beginning September 7, 1892, with all work done by 1893. In 1922 the high school moved to a new building, and so it served as a sixth-grade center until elementary schools absorbed the sixth grade in 1941. Area citizens protested against district plans to raze the building.

took possession of the building in 1971. The building was renovated by the college in 1982 and renamed Ireland Hall. In 2018 it was occupied by the Criminal Justice Program, the Office of NJCAA Commissioner, and Cosmetology classrooms.

Architecture and features

The main entrance has lion figures created by M. E. Roderick. There was a fountain, garnished with plants, in the center of the ground floor foyer. Fireplaces were installed in the board room and superintendent's office. When the school first opened, Brussels carpet was used to furnish them. It is a three-story-with-full-basement

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

-style building which is in plan. Its NRHP nomination explains its coloration:

It was constructed of white Silverdale limestone set in red mortar. At the time of construction the only red color available for mortar was vermillion, which was not waterproof. As a result of rain and weather, pink streaks soon appeared on the white stone, and the stone absorbed the color. With the passage of time and continual weathering, the entire structure has acquired a rosy hue. The color has led many viewers to the mistaken conclusion that the building was made of pink Colorado sandstone.

The building was deemed notable as

an outstanding example of the stonecutter's art. The fine detail and workmanship evident on the exterior make it one of the city's architectural landmarks. The building is also significant to the educational development of Arkansas City, having served the community since 1890.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Kansas Romanesque Revival architecture in Kansas School buildings completed in 1891 Cowley County, Kansas