Valley School – Orderville UT

Description

The PWA built this school in Orderville in 1935-36. It is not entirely clear from satellite and street views how much of the original structure remains, as the site has been expanded over the years. From the National Register of Historic Places:

“This is a one-story, rectangular building with a full basement. It has been built into a hillside above the town and reflects the stylistic thinking of the PWA Moderne movement in Utah. The building has a flat roof and is constructed of yellow brick. A square entrance portico has been placed centrally on the facade. The design is formal and symmetrical. No windows occur on the principal facade but are found in horizontal bands in threes along the sides. Low-relief brick piers are placed at regular intervals around the building and alternate with more imposing pilasters that have cream-.colored, decorative concrete capitals. These stylized capitals project upward beyond the end of the coping at the edge of the roof and give the walls a crenelated appearance. The pilaster design is repeated on the front portico. There is a c.1965 paneled addition to the rear of the building that does not affect the integrity of the building. A bronze plaque on the front of the building identifies it as a PWA building and includes the names of local school board officials, the contractors, and the architect.”