Alexander Hamilton Elementary School is tucked away in the neighborhoods north of Forest Park, only two blocks south of Delmar. It’s surrounded by a park and quiet residential streets, and to the northeast a major Metro depot.

It was designed by Rockwell Milligan, of the famous firm of Ittner Milligan, and it looks like many of their elementary school designs: two identical front portals flanked by perpendicular classroom wings, creating two T-shaped hallways.

However, this school, like many of Milligan’s designs, is an interesting fusion of the Tudor Revival and also Hanseatic Northern European Mannerist elements, which I enjoy greatly.

The portals’ sculpting in terracotta, which has seen some battering by the elements, shows the influence of Italy while the decorative brick work is Northern European in origin.

Decorative elements are similar to other schools designed by the firm; it seems that the high schools tended to be more conservative in design, while the elementary schools were more open to experimentation.

Many schools feature the bay projecting from the front façade.

Then of course there are the two wings on either side, with some nice decorative wood work, which shows some sign of light deterioration.

The compound chimneys are also a sign of the Tudor Revival.