Madison Elementary School

The Madison School is significant as an indicator of the emergence of the public school system in Ogden and in Utah and the growth of Ogden as an urban center. The building is also significant as the oldest school building still standing in Ogden. Elements of the Romanesque Revival Style mark this school as one of a very limited number of buildings statewide which reflect the influence of that style.

The public school system in Utah was established in 1890 and provided free education of all children ages 6-18. Within three years student enrollment at public schools in Ogden tripled. Community leaders such as William H. (Coin) Harvey, the famous Populist Party leader, began calling for the construction of “modern and model school buildings”. On April 19, 1892, plans for the Madison School were displayed by the architect Francis C. Woods. Mr. Woods was the architect of several schools, churches and hotels in Ogden.

It is interesting to note that one of the characteristics of the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architecture is the feeling of massiveness it portrays, a feeling which Mr. Harvey felt was essential in the design of new schools constructed in Ogden.

2418 Madison Avenue in Ogden’s Central Bench Historic District in Ogden, Utah