North Ward School

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. 10 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1921.

From the record

One of 72 National Register listings published here for Pinellas County · listed in 2021 · category: Building.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 2 buildingss as contributing to the listing.
Address. 900 North Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater, 33755
When was it listed? September 2021
Category. building
Census division. Clearwater
National Register reference number. 100007057 - assigned by the National Park Service when the property was listed.

Then and now

1921 to 1995

The ground this property stands on, surveyed 74 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet covering North Ward School, surveyed 1995

Topographic sheet covering North Ward School, surveyed 1921

Fires near this property

5 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of North Ward School between 1992 and 2016, burning about 20 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Power generation/transmission/distribution	1
Railroad operations and maintenance	1
Misuse of fire by a minor	1
Arson/incendiarism	1
Equipment and vehicle use	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
11 May 1993	Equipment and vehicle use	15 acres	Florida Forest Service	not named
23 March 2000	Railroad operations and maintenance	2.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	not named
18 February 2013	Arson/incendiarism	under an acre	Florida Forest Service	MOCCASIN LAKE (52)
5 December 2016	Power generation/transmission/distribution	2.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	EAST BAY DRIVE (52)
13 December 1992	Misuse of fire by a minor	1.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	not named

Every fire recorded in Pinellas County

Mines and quarries near this property

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of North Ward School: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Largo Sand and Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Pinellas County

Storms near this property

59 since 1995

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Clearwater, the town this property stands in, in 59 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 20 lightning, 13 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 6 flood. The reports record 2 deaths and 6 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
August 2001	Rip Current	Clearwater	1 killed	A 22 year old male drowned in a rip current 100 feet offshore of Sand Key in Clearwater.
June 1996	Lightning	Clearwater	1 killed	no account filed
July 2003	Lightning	Clearwater	3 hurt	Three road construction workers were struck by lightning at the corner of U.S. 19 and Drew Street while standing under a large oak tree. All three were transported to a hospital and complained about internal pain, uncontrollable twitching, and numbness.
September 2002	Lightning	Clearwater	1 hurt	A 79 year old female was transported to the hospital after being struck by lightning at her home.
July 1997	Lightning	Clearwater	1 hurt	A 32 year old male was injured by lightning while leaning up against his kitchen sink. The lightning struck outside his apartment, travelled through underground pipes, then up into the apartment to the sink. The 275 pound man was thrown over four feet from the electrical discharge while leaning against the steel sink. His injuries consisted of tingles and numbness on the left side of his body.
July 1996	Lightning	Clearwater	1 hurt	no account filed
July 2003	Lightning	Clearwater	$250,000	A 1.3 million dollar home just off Enterprise Road in Safety Harbor was struck by lightning. The resulting two alarm fire took 50 firefighters from six departments to put out.
July 2003	Lightning	Clearwater	$179,000	Sparks were flying out of a power panel in the garage of a Sea Pines Circle home in Countryside after lightning struck the home. The fire in the panel was put out with an fire extinguisher but the fire had already spread into the walls of the home. Eighteen fire trucks responded to the fire but the house was considered a total loss.
July 1999	Lightning	Clearwater	$150,000	Lightning struck and burned to the ground, a four bedroom home on the 1400 block of Dexter Drive in Clearwater.
June 1996	Lightning	Clearwater	$75,000	no account filed
September 1999	Flood	Clearwater	$50,000	Four to six inches of rain in less than four hours caused localized flooding of low-lying streets and areas of poor drainage from Clearwater southeast to St Petersburg in Pinellas county. A few vehicles incurred water damage from flooded roadways in St Petersburg.
July 1999	Lightning	Clearwater	$50,000	Lightning struck, ignited and destroyed a stationary Cessna 152 aircraft that had landed prior to the onset of a thunderstorm at the Clearwater Executive Airport on Hercules Avenue (C.R. 425).
July 1998	Flood	Clearwater	$50,000	Six to eight inches of heavy rain in less than three hours caused localized flooding of roadways and low lying areas from Clearwater to Dunedin. A few vehicles incurred water damage in the Doral Village mobile home park and the Meese Dunedin Hospital suffered minor damage from the floodwaters.
May 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$40,000	Several large trees were downed by thunderstorm winds. One large oak tree fell into a parking lot and damaged three vehicles.
April 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$40,000	Thunderstorms rolled in from the Gulf of Mexico Friday evening bringing damaging winds and rain that blew away vendors' tents at the Smooth Jazz Fest and left two inches of rain on the stage. The winds also caused major damage to the roof of a police substation on South Greenwood Avenue as the communication tower was toppled.
June 2020	Tornado (EF0)	Clearwater	$30,000	Social media picture of trees on vehicles on Long Street near Ridge Ave. More trees downed near Gentry St. and Ridge Ave. Also damage near North Keene road and Sunset Point Rd, garage wall pushed in and additional tree damage.
June 2010	Lightning	Clearwater	$30,000	Lightning struck a tree and caused it to fall on a house on Flora Road. There was significant damage to the house.
July 2003	Lightning	Clearwater	$30,000	Lightning struck a home on Bay Hills Boulevard and ignited a blaze in the attic.
April 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$30,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and power lines from Clearwater east across the county to St Petersburg.
August 1996	Lightning	Clearwater	$30,000	no account filed
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$25,000	Thunderstorms winds removed part of an aluminum canopy from a commercial buildings roof, smashed a store front sign and snapped the jib of a sailboat along the 100 block of Seminole Street in Clearwater.
August 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$20,000	A local television station reported that thunderstorm winds downed several large trees and toppled a tree atop a vehicle in Clearwater.
August 1996	Flood	Clearwater	$20,000	no account filed
July 1998	Flood	Clearwater	$15,000	Heavy rain of three to four inches in less than two hours caused localized flooding of low lying areas along the U.S. Highway 19 corridor from Clearwater north to Tarpon Springs.
August 2022	Lightning	Clearwater	$10,000	Call center received report of a lightning strike to a transformer causing a minor fire in Clearwater.
January 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds of 50 mph caused minor damage to seven mobile homes at the Twin Palms Mobile Home Park on the northeast intersection of State Road 60 and Belcher Avenue. The damage was confined to broken windows and wind ripped aluminum siding along the corners of the mobile homes.
October 1997	Flood	Clearwater	$10,000	Four to six inches of rain caused localized flooding of streets over the Tampa/St. Pete metropolitan areas. A few cars stalled by urban floodwaters received water damage.
June 2013	Lightning	Clearwater	$5,000	The Pinellas County 911 call center reported a small fire in a house on Pine Place in Clearwater caused by a lightning strike.
March 2000	Wildfire	Clearwater	$5,000	A wildfire consumed ten to fifteen acres of brush and timber on the east side of McMullen Park near the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 and State Road 60 in Clearwater. One home incurred minor damage from the wildfire.
April 1997	Lightning	Clearwater	$5,000	Lightning struck and damaged the roof and interior ceiling of a home in Safety Harbor.
April 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$5,000	no account filed
November 1996	Tornado (F0)	Clearwater	$5,000	no account filed
August 2002	Lightning	Clearwater	$3,000	Lightning started a fire at a home that was quickly put out.
January 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$2,000	Broadcast media reported multiple trees down and in the road near intersection of North Hercules Avenue and Ridgewood Dr.
October 1997	Tornado (F0)	Clearwater	$2,000	A tornado briefly touched down and uprooted a few trees, twisted a couple of stop signs and downed a couple of power lines on Caladesi Island State Park.
April 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$2,000	no account filed
May 2025	Lightning	Clearwater	$1,000	County EM relayed report of a lightning strike to a home in Clearwater, with only minor damage and no injuries reported.
July 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds of 40 to 50 mph caused the carport of a mobile home to collapse at the Ranchero Mobile Home Park in Largo.
July 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds downed a 40-foot double light pole, and a few power lines, at the junction of Brookerlake Parkway and Eastlake Road.
July 2015	Lightning	Clearwater	-	A lightning strike hit the chimney of a home located on Farrier Trail in Clearwater. Upon arrival, firefighters had to make some small holes in the ceiling of the home to investigate if anything was on fire or not. No fire resulted from the strike.
July 2013	Heavy Rain	Clearwater	-	Largo Police Department reported Belchar Road was closed from Ulmerton Road to 142nd Avenue with an estimated 2 feet of water on the road. Additionally, an estimated 3 feet of water covered Floral Drive and 36th Street Southeast.
May 2009	Tornado (EF0)	Clearwater	-	The public had photographic evidence of a tornado in west Clearwater that dissipated just before moving offshore. No damage was reported along the path.
July 2008	Heavy Rain	Clearwater	-	A trained spotter reported 4.50 inches of rain in ten hours.
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	-	Tops of trees sheared off and 10 inch limbs snapped off
July 2002	Lightning	Clearwater	-	Struck a business and destroyed the phone system.
August 2001	Hail	Clearwater	-	Dime sized hail was reported by an Amateur Radio Operator near the intersection of State Road 590 (Drew Street) and County Road 375 (Highland Avenue) east to U.S. Highway 19 in Clearwater.
May 1999	Hail	Clearwater	-	Dime sized hail was reported by the public at U.S. Highway 19 and County Road 528 (Drew St.) through Pinellas Park cable station Bay News.
July 1999	Hail	Clearwater	-	Golfball sized hail was reported at the Countryside Mall near the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 and State Road 580 (Main Street) by the public through WTSP-TV.
July 1999	Waterspout	Clearwater	-	A short-lived waterspout touched down in Old Tampa Bay near County Road 611 (Bayshore Bridge).
July 1999	Waterspout	Clearwater	-	A well defined and long-lived waterspout was observed to develop approximately 50 yards south of the Memorial Causeway Bridge (State Road 60) in Clearwater Harbor. The waterspout was visible for nearly 20 miles and lasted nearly 10 minutes. Northerly downburst winds from the parent thunderstorm pushed the waterspout south across Clearwater Harbor before it dissipated approximately one mile southwest of Clearwater.
May 1999	Hail	Clearwater	-	Dime sized hail was reported by a Skywarn Spotter at the intersection of 49th Street and Roosevelt in Clearwater.
August 1998	Hail	Clearwater	-	A Skywarn Spotter reported dime sized hail at the intersection of County Road 501 (Belcher Road) and State Road 686 (East Bay Drive).
July 1998	Hail	Clearwater	-	Dime sized hail was reported on Curlew Road between U.S. Highway 19 and Belcher Road by a Skywarn Spotter.
April 1997	Tornado (F0)	Clearwater	-	A short-lived tornado touched down on I-275 (Howard Franklin Bridge) with no apparent damage.
October 1997	Waterspout	Clearwater	-	A waterspout was observed over Safety Harbor.
July 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Clearwater	-	A 58 mph wind gust was measured by a SKYWARN spotter.
May 2003	Hail	Clearwater	-	no account filed
August 1996	Flood	Clearwater	-	no account filed
August 1996	Waterspout	Clearwater	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Pinellas County

Maps showing this location

10 surveys

United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.

1921 USGS Sand Key quadrangle1:62500
1943 USGS Clearwater quadrangle1:24000 - 3 printings
1956 USGS Tampa quadrangle1:250000 - 2 printings
1959 USGS Tampa quadrangle1:250000
1960 USGS Tampa quadrangle1:250000 - 2 printings
1972 USGS Tampa quadrangle1:250000
1974 USGS Clearwater quadrangle1:24000 - 2 printings
1981 USGS St Petersburg quadrangle1:100000
1988 USGS St Petersburg quadrangle1:250000
1995 USGS Clearwater quadrangle1:24000

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church	0.4 miles	2000
Cleveland Street Post Office	0.7 miles	1980
Pinellas County Courthouse, Old	0.9 miles	1992
South Ward School	1.2 miles	1979
Donald Roebling Estate	1.2 miles	1979
Harbor Oaks Residential District	1.3 miles	1988

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 100007057 in Record Group 79.
Pinellas County	All 72 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.