If you keep up with the Aceable blog, then you know that we like to rank our drivers ed students’ high schools by campus beauty, mascots and even their dance teams. You could say we enjoy a good listicle almost as much as we loving helping folks get their permits and licenses. Now, we’re finally releasing our definitive list of the most beautiful high schools in Ohio — because, let’s face it, you guys need some pictures of beautiful brick architecture in your lives. Check out the full list to see if your alma mater made it. Think we left your school out? Let us know!
Let’s start off with No. 27 because we’ve got a tie somewhere on this list. Gasp!
27. Linden McKinley STEM Academy, Columbus
This historic school building dates back to 1927. More than 80 years later, the school underwent a $34 million makeover that included a “green rooftop space,” according to The Columbus Dispatch.
26. Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst
Built in 1927, this brick schoolhouse is easily identifiable by its beautiful centralized clock tower.
25. Elyria High School
Though most of the original Elyria High School has long been demolished and rebuilt, the historic Washington Building remains part of the campus. Erected in 1894, this sandstone structure has a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
24. South High School, Columbus
Though built in 1924, this Columbus school building was remodeled in 2009. Thankfully, its gorgeous classical facade stayed intact.
23. Grandview Heights High School, Columbus
Established in the early 1920s, Grandview Heights High represented a growing trend among schools of that era, according to the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society. The design of building was such that it could be used by the rest of the community during off-hours and in the summer, the society’s website reads, and at one point, even served as the town’s public library.
22. Rossford High School
Built in 1922, this Rossford landmark will be getting a major upgrade in the coming years. Though the building’s exterior is exquisite, Rossford Schools is moving forward with a $70 million project to improve the outdated facility, according to The Toledo Blade.
21. East High School, Columbus
Originally built in 1922, East High was most recently renovated in 2008. The Columbus school building is a stunning example of Neoclassical architecture.
20. Western Hills University High School, Cincinnati
Constructed in 1928, this Cincinnati high school is a prime example of Renaissance-influenced architecture.
19. Cuyahoga Heights High School
This Georgian-style school was built in 1938 by the Cleveland-area architechtural firm Fox and Duthie, according to the Cuyahoga Heights Historical Society. The firm’s “purpose was to make it one of the nation’s outstanding examples of school architecture,” the society’s site reads.
18. Shaker Heights High School
Another school built in the Georgian architectural tradition, Shaker Heights High has undergone many renovations over the years. In the 1980s, a fallout shelter in the basement of the school was transformed into a black box theater, now used for annual one-act plays produced by students, according to Shaker.org.
17. Fairview High School, Fairview Park
You can clearly see the year this high school was established as it’s inscribed in roman numerals at the entrance of the building. Though constructed in 1928, Fairview High has received numerous upgrades over the years, included a gymnasium expansion in 2007.
16. Olney Friends School, Barnesville
This boarding and day school has been at its current location since 1876 — more than 140 years! The impressive campus encompasses 350 USDA-certified organic acres.
15. Warren G. Harding High School, Warren
Most of the original Warren G. Harding High School, which dates back to 1924, was demolished and rebuilt a few years ago. Luckily, contractors preserved the old facility’s Greek Revival facade, a unique design among high schools in the state.
14. West High School, Columbus
Designed by prominent Ohio-born architect Howard Dwight Smith, the exterior of West High School certainly is beautiful.
13. Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills
The 144-acre Gilmour Academy campus includes a chapel, two NHL-size ice rinks and a 1920s-era admissions building.
12. Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights
At Hathaway Brown, students have access to a greenhouse, 400-seat theater, aquatics center and multiple libraries.
11. Laurel School, Shaker Heights
The highlight of this 11-acre campus is its main building, a brick Tudor Revival structure. Students also have access to two libraries, two gyms and studios for the arts.
10. Montessori High School at University Circle, Cleveland
This private Cleveland high school is made up of early 20th-century mansions converted into classrooms and residence halls.
9. New Albany High School, Columbus
Built in 1996, New Albany High School includes a natatorium, center for the arts and artificial turf football field.
8. Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati
Designed by famous architect Frederick W. Garber, this 1931 high school was supposedly modeled after the rotunda at the University of Virginia.
7. St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland
The Main Building at St. Ignatius High School was erected in 1891 and has a place on the list of Cleveland’s historic landmarks.
6. The Summit Country Day School, Cincinnati
This 24-acre campus includes a building that dates back to 1890 as well as modern athletic facilities and classrooms.
5. (Tie) Jesup W. Scott High School, Toledo
Founded in 1913, Scott is Toledo’s oldest high school, according to The Blade.
5. (Tie) Waite High School, Toledo
Waite High School, designed in the Collegiate Tudor Gothic tradition, is a near replica of Scott, which was built just one year earlier, according to WaiteAlumni.org. Both were designed by renowned Toledo architect David L. Stine.
4. Hughes STEM High School, Cincinnati
This prime example of Tudor architecture includes a 145-ft tower and terracotta gargoyles that represent various facets of academia.
3. Western Reserve Academy, Hudson
The 190-acre Western Reserve campus was founded in 1826. Among the school’s 40 buildings are a historic few known as “Brick Row.”
2. Cristo Rey Columbus High School
The French Chateau-style building that houses Cristo Rey students was built in 1899. The building, formerly the home of the School for the Deaf, was purchased and renovated by Cristo Rey just a few years ago.
1. Withrow University High School, Cincinnati
Another beauty designed by Frederick W. Garber, Withrow High School includes a 114-ft clock tower and gorgeous arched bridge.
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