Assembly Day. The Willson Middle School built in 1903 by architect Frank S. Barnum was named for the street it faced until Cleveland adopted a numbered street system for community safety (now East 55th) 2 years later. Closed in 2005, it is an eyesore, a canvas and an object too costly to demolish. Frank S. Barnum was the architect and Superintendent of Buildings for Cleveland Public Schools from 1895-1915, his work marked the era of modern school construction. He designed forty-five schools and forty-nine annexes or additions. The new buildings pioneered fireproof construction, had flat roofs, electric light, steam heat, and used space efficiently