BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
; FORM B - BUILDING - MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - - - - - 1. Town Address Name In Area no. I-12 Form no. 531 7-14/3 Fall River, Mass, 650 Plymouth Avenue William M, Connell School Present use School 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number INST /-3TA 1-29A - 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. PLYMOUTH AVE. 650 DOVER N Present owner City of Fall River 3. Description: 2-story brick school Date - 1893 Source Fall River School Studies-Vol. Style Romanesque Revival Architect Joseph M. Darling Exterior wail fabric_Brick Outbuildings (describe) Other features 4-level center tower openat top level w/polygonal cap, Syrian arch entrance Altered Date Moved Date 5. Lot size: 28,386 sq. ft.
One acre or lessX Over one acre_ Approximate frontage 166 ft. Approximate distance of building from street 50 ft. 6. Recorded by Patricia Giza Organization_ FROHP Date 10/2/80 (over) 7. Original owner (if known) City of Fall River Original use School Subsequent uses (if any) and dates 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political X Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) The William M. Connell School (1893) is one of two virtually identical 8-room brick grammar schools designed by the prominent local architect Joseph M. Darling in the early 1890's.
Both the Connell and its twin, the Davol School on Flint Street, are fine examples of the type of sturdy late 19th century brick schoolhouses which in their design and detailing rise above the level of simple functionalism. The symmetrical Romanesque Revival school is particularly notable for its square 4-level center tower with a Syrian arched entrance and open belfry. Details such as the brownstone sill and lintel courses, slate hipped roof, bracketed cornice and corbelled brick chimneys have also remained largely intact. The property is surrounded by an early iron fence with granite posts. Inside the school has four classrooms on each of the two floors and restrooms and utility rooms in the basement. Joseph M.
Darling (d.1918) was a well-connected Fall River architect with a prolific prac- tice whose work includes many of the downtown banks and office buildings as well as the Bradford-Durfee Textile School and the Stone and Aldrich Schools. The William Connell School was named in honor of the city's third Superintendent of Schools, at whose urging the policy of providing free textbooks to public school students was established. In 1874 Fall River became the first city in Massachusetts to provide free textbooks, some 10 years before the law required it. Connell was superintendent from 1872 to 1894. The late 19th century was a period of considerable school building in Fall River, as the population increased to meet the needs of the expanding textile economy. In 1889 the city had 42 schoolhouses with 182 study rooms and 30 recitation rooms.
Between 1894and 1900, 64 new classrooms were added by enlarging existing schools and building nine new schools. In view of this 20% increase in the number of schools within a six-year period, the use of the same plan for the Connell and Davol Schools would seem both practical and economical. As a distinctive example of the late 19th century brick schoolhouse, well-detailed, substantially constructed and largely unchanged, the William Connell School meets Criteria A and C of the National Register, individually. 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) 1895 Atlas of Fall River - Structure shown Fall River School Studies - Vol. I - pg. 68 - Date erected 1893. Exterior face- brick roof-slate Water Dept, City of Fall River on 3-31-1894 App. #5916 Providence Journal - Dec. 7, 1964 - clipping Fall River Herald News - Mar.
19, 1918 - pg. 1 - name of architect Phillips' History of Fall River, Fascicle II, P. 64-65 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPs use only received (5% date entered Page 3ofwu Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Fall River Multiple Resource Area MA Nomination/Type of Review 21. Chace Mills Substantive Review Keeper 22. Chace, A. B., Rowhouses Attest Entered In the National Register fKeeper Attest 23. Chace's, O1iver, Thread Mil1 Entered in the National Register /eeper Attest 24. Charlton Mil1 Entered in the Mational Register fKeeper 25. Chase-Hyde Farm Entered in the Mational Begister Attest fKeeper Attest 26. Children's Home Entered In t5e National Regiater /Keeper Attest 27.
Church of the Ascension Entered in the National Regiater FKeeper 28. Collins, William, House Attest Entered in the National Register /Keeper 29. Connell, William M., School Attest Entered in the National Register /Reeper 30. Cornell Mills intered in the Iational Begister Attest /Keeper Attest Date/Signature 1/16/15 omn h dngl 2/10 /8 AlmusByen 2/16/83 2hlousByan 2/10/8) Delmebzen 2/10/83 AelousByen 2/i0/8) Ahlmuaßyun 1a1 dibwabzen 2/10/8) delvusßyen 2/1/ Aelouaßzen 2/10/83 Llelruzua VATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES tlled ceatoo e el tho babartos Matlas - Perk &i EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET Connell, William M.,School (Fall River MRA) Bristol County MASSACHUSETTS rosubmission nomination by parson or local government ovnor objoction appoal Substantivo Reviow: Rorlowor's commonts: Working No. 15/83-15 Fod. Rag.
Data 2.7,84 Dato Duo: 13/83-219/83 Action: LACCEPT 2/10/83 Entered in the - RETURN National Regtstor REJECT- Fodoral Agoncy:. _sample _request _ appeal - NR decision Racom. /Critoria Roviower Diaciplino. Dato _soo continuation shoet -Nomination raturnad for: _technical corrections cited below -substantivo roasona discuszad boiow 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification onaaam uos 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Reprosentation in Existing Surveys -a ppon comm cnonatms ansan? 7. Description entartarasas noad ca _ unaltaro - aarod e ane crtrponad pol tensarnal pamgataad an summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/Integrity datas boundary selection aocb con - mavod 8.
Significance Perled Aroas ef Sigmificance Choct and justity belew Spocific dates Statement of Significauce (in ene peragraph) Builoise: Architeet summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nomineted property - Quedrangie neme UMT References Verbal beundery description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national -_ state State Historic Preservation Officer signature date tttle 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to _ Signed Date.
Phone: 202 272-3504 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet NAME: LOCATION: PHOTO CREDIT: NEGATIVE FILED AT: IDENTIFICATION: Photo +1 of 2 William M. Connell School 650 Plymouth Avenue Fall River, Mass. Pamela Shields (1981) Fall River Office of Historic Preservation One Government Center Fall River, Mass. 02722 (PSNR-7-7) Connell School Front View, looking east INST. 1-27A UM. CONNELL SCHOOL (FRONT) BO PLYMOUTH AUE 650 Fall Ruver MRA, Ma Carnell, Willin Mr, Sclecol Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000279