Delmar Harvard Elementary School exemplifies William B. Ittner's signature approach to school design, featuring a handsome Tudor Revival composition in red brick with limestone trim, decorative half-timbering details, and grouped windows that maximize natural classroom lighting. The building's E-shaped or similar plan, characteristic of Ittner's work, creates protected courtyards while its steeply pitched rooflines, arched entryways, and careful ornamental details give the structure a dignified yet welcoming presence.
Delmar Harvard Elementary School was built in two phases, both designed by William B. Ittner, the nationally renowned architect who revolutionized American school design during his tenure as Commissioner of School Buildings for the St. Louis Public Schools. The original Delmar Building was constructed in 1913, making it the first permanent school building in the University City School District. Ittner's name and the construction date are inscribed on the building's facade. Its location on Kingsland Avenue placed it along the rapidly developing corridor between St. Louis City and University City, where improved streetcar access along Delmar Boulevard was drawing families to new residential streets nearby. In 1920, a second building — the Harvard Addition — was constructed facing Harvard Avenue, expanding the campus to meet growing enrollment. By this point Ittner had established himself as the preeminent school architect in the country, and his designs were being implemented not only throughout the St. Louis region but across the United States. The school served generations of University City students through the twentieth century, surviving the demographic shifts that transformed the surrounding neighborhoods. Despite being considered a top-performing school and escaping a round of closures in 2004, declining enrollment eventually led to the school's closure in 2011. Both buildings remain standing today, and the site has been the subject of ongoing preservation and redevelopment discussions.
