Old High Middle School (Gaylord High School)

Versatile Little Rock architect Almand designed this attractive school in a blend of Mediterranean and Mission Revival styles. The building is dominated by the two-story central portion fronted by a five-bay arcade of alternating red brick and light-colored glazed terra-cotta and flanked by stair towers that rise from square bases to hexagon-shaped upper portions and conclude with ornamented cornices and conical roofs of red clay tile. These towers also are enriched with aesthetic combinations of brick, terra-cotta, and stone. The entrance arcade leads to a spacious lobby and a large auditorium, flanked on either side by arcaded passageways. A second-floor lobby, accessible via the spiral stairs in the stair towers, serves balcony seating for the auditorium. Two wings of classrooms stretch diagonally from the central core and give the impression the building is opening its arms to the community.