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2716 VINE STREET HISTORICAL CONTEXT River Park was founded in 1830 when Daniel Cripe entered a claim at the land office in Fort Wayne, Indiana for a tract of land bounded by the St. Joseph River to the South, Greenlawn to the west, Logan to the East and the Grand Trunk Railroad to the North. The land was eventually subdivided in 1880 and was officially named River Park in 1892. At this time the town was mostly farmland with a few businesses along Mishawaka Avenue. In 1893 Penn Township constructed a two-story school on the corner of 26th and Vine Streets, which could hold approximately forty students. In 1902 River Park elected a school board, which took the old school from Penn Township. This school became the social hub for the entire neighborhood and remained in use until 1923. By 1910 River Park had a population of 1,560 with 436 students, it was at this time that South Bend and River Park merged into one town. River Park's government officially ceased to operate in 1911, thus, effectively ending River Parks existence as an Indiana town. By the early 1920s the need for a larger school was clear and in 1923 a new school was constructed just blocks away from the old school on Vine Street. The school was named for past superintendent John F. Nuner and was dedicated in June of 1923. The school building boasted a 700 -seat auditorium and a gymnasium. The school produced numerous plays including an Operetta called "Suzanne" in 1929. By 1930 the enrollment for Nuner School peaked at 1,665 students in grades K-9. To help accommodate the large number of students an eight -room addition was added to the building in 1936, which increased the school capacity by 280 pupils and capped the square footage at 77,500. Gradually the number students declined and in 1979 the school only housed k-6, grades 7& 8 were moved to Jefferson and Edison Schools and grade 9 was moved to the high school. By 1998 the building served 650 pupils, teaching general education, Title I Classes. However, by 1995 discussions regarding the need for a new school had begun which eventually led to the construction and completion of a new Nuner School in 1999. The Old Nuner School effectively closed upon the opening of the new school building and has since remained vacant. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION This is a one and two story Gothic Revival style school with an irregular plan, multiple wings, various gable roof lines, asphalt shingles, brick chimney, brick smoke stack and copper gutters and downspouts. It has casement windows with fixed 16 division transoms with a band of limestone surrounding multiple units with quoin detailing on the sides. The walls are made of brick with raised brick square detailing and limestone squares dividing the first and second floors of the central section. The central portion of the building fronts Vine Street and is two stories tall. It has limestone parapets, with a central entrance containing limestone detailing and a limestone name plate. The front entrance boasts a brick portico with limestone detailing which opens in an arch shape to a double set of wood doors with multi -paned glass panels, multi -paned wood side lights and a multi -paned wood and glass transom. The building has several long narrow, simple wings and two highly decorative secondary entrances, one facing 2