Roseville Avenue School

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One of Newark's oldest existing public school buildings stands in the Roseville neighborhood, as it has since 1883. 

The three story red brick building served the neighborhood as a kindergarten through fourth grade facility. The building was nearly 15,000 square feet of classroom and hallway space. 

The building didn't see much physical investment over the years. There was never a proper auditorium or gymnasium for the students. 

Not only were there no building additions over the years, the space within the existing walls never saw much improvement either. I was stunned to find what I believe to be the original wooden paneling and window moldings throughout the building.

The last class was held at the Roseville Avenue School in 2015. It sat vacant for a number of years, practically invisible to most who drove past it on a daily basis. It wasn't until 2022 that work began to convert the building into housing. 

Im glad I was able to tour the building before any major work had occurred. I knew there probably wasn't going to be an auditorium which is usually my favorite part of any historic school. I was pleasantly surprised to find the building filled with some really neat hand painted muralwork throughout the first floor. 

I wish I could have spent longer taking pictures, but I was dodging workers who were actively in the early stages of stripping the building out. I had to hide around corners and move from room to room like in the old Scooby-Doo chase scenes. 

The building is set to reopen as housing. I haven't been inside to see how much of the original interior was retained, but the views I catch through the windows tell me it's not much. At least the building itself will go on to serve the city once again, as it has for so long.