National Register #00000821
Lander County High School
130 Sixth Street
Austin
Built 1926

Lander County High School was designed by the Reno architectural firm, George A. Ferris and Son, in the Italian Renaissance style.

The building is reminiscent of Palazzo Pitti in Florence designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1440 in the di fondo style, with a heavy-looking basement level exposed to view. Both buildings rise out of a hill in an isolated and elevated position and are designed to be seen from a distance.

The Lander County High School was later known as the Austin High School then as the Austin Elementary School. When we photographed the building in 2008, it was boarded up and appeared to be abandoned.

Source: Adapted from the NRHP nomination form submitted in 2000.

When we photographed Lander County High School on 15 July 2008, there was a signed taped to the side of the building:

The story is that a young school principal hung himself in the school late one night and he has been haunting the building ever since.

On the same day, a similar haunting notice was taped to the side old the Gridley Store.