Built in 1901 and named after abolitionist Elijah P. Lovejoy, this former elementary school was transformed in 2004 into a three story, 54-unit condominium.

The Lovejoy School was expanded in 1908 and 1923 (as can be seen from three different styles of building and color of brick) and functioned as a school until the late 1980s. In 1999 it was sold and an ambitious period of development followed. The builders worked with the Historic Preservation Review Board and came up with a plan for 54 residential lofts that faithfully preserved and renovated the original structure, making use of exposed duct work, brick walls and an amazing array of windows, including the classic large multi-paned school variety as well as overhead transoms. The developer left a few chalkboards intact but removed most of them because of asbestos. They said they had found that most people are comfortable with chalkboards in their living rooms, but not in their bedrooms.

The one and two-bedroom units at Lovejoy Lofts range in size from 870-1,200 square feet, priced at $412,000 to $574,900.

I imagine the captures of schoolhouses are somewhat boring, but they have been the main subject for residential conversions on Capitol Hill, along with several churches and other buildings. I’m enjoying doing research on these projects and learned that the reason the District of Columbia had so many surplus schools to sell in the ’90s was due to segregation, when there were two schools, one for whites and one for African Americans, for every level on Capitol Hill and elsewhere in the city.

Lovejoy School (1901) condo conversion, posted earlier: