The owner of the building was Ivan Kurzhupov - a wealthy merchant and property owner who built extensively for the city's educational needs. The building was leased to the city for the Oleksandrivsk Realschule.
The building was constructed in the brick style using ceramic red bricks. The advantages of this style were its speed of construction, lower cost, and greater durability in our climate.
The building was characterized by a variety of decor, patchiness, and elaborate patterns. This appealed to the tastes of merchants and the urban lower classes of that time.
During the First World War, the building provided refuge for refugees from western provinces. During the civil war, the premises were occupied by troops from various armies that were in the city.