Nomination for Washington School

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (3-82) OMB No.1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries-complete applicable sections 1. Name For NPS use only received MAY 7 1986 date entered historic Washington School (preferred) and or common 2. Location Washington School Professional Building street & number 8 School Street N/A not for publication city, town Weymouth N/A - vicinity of state Massachusetts 3.

Classification code 025 county Norfolk code 021 Category district X building(s) structure site object Ownership public X private both Public Acquisition N IA process being considered Status X - occupied _ unoccupied work in progress Accessible X yes: restricted yes: unrestricted _ no Present Use agriculture Xcommercial educational entertainment government industrial military museum park private residence religious scientific _ transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name Washington School Realty Trust street & number P. 0. Box 21 city, town Weymouth N/Avicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Massachusetts courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Norfolk County Registry of Deeds street & number 550 High Street city, town Dedham state Massachusetts 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys title Inventory of the Historic Assethas this property been of the Commonwealth determined eligible? yes x no date 1978 Inv # 142 federal x state county _ local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission, 80 Boylston Street city, town Boston state Massachusetts 7. Description Condition *excellent good YAM fair .deteriorated ruins unexposed Washington School, Weymouth, Massachusetts Check one unaltered X altered Check one - original site moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The Washington School, East Weymouth, was designed by Boston ar chitect S. S. Woodcock in 1887. It is a fine example of late Queen Anne architectural design applied to an institutional use. The school faces north and occupies a high, flat site overlooking a busy intersection at Jackson Square, commercial, civic, and cultural focus of this village, one of four that have historically made up this coastal town 14 miles south of Boston. A graduated granite retaining wall, 12 feet at its highest point, defines the southern and eastern edges of the property. constructed of wood, sheathed in a mix of clapboard and patterned shingles, this large, two-story building with full basement and unfinished attic is in good condition on interior and exterior and retains almost all its original features.

The building's plan is essentially symmetrical, a I-shaped structure composed of main block and projecting central pavilion, with covered porches tucked on either side and with balanced fenestration. The building's exterior displays a number of Queen Anne/Shingle Style decorative elements--fishscale and serrated shingles, clapboards, quarter-round sunbursts, turned spindles, and delicate lunette--common to the dynamism of this late 19th century style. The foundation is constructed of massive, rectangular cut-granite blocks; the roof is clad in asphalt shingles. windows, which are 6/6, are for the most part original. The larger block at the rear of the building, four bays deep by six bays wide, has a high hip roof, which is broken in the rear by one gabled dormer.

The central pavilion (four bays deep by three bays wide), which has a pitched jerkinhead roof with a gabled dormer on each side, was once surmounted by a square open tower with a pyramidal roof topped by a weathervane. At the juncture of the roofs of the main block and the pavilion, on both the east and west sides, there is a one bay wide, two-story projection which on dropping to the first story, helps form the twin entrance porches. The building's elaborate decoration is typical of the Queen Anne style and is concentrated in the roof dormers, belt course, entrance porches, and the facade of the center pavilion. All the roof dormers, as well as the gable on the center pavilion, have serrated oblong shingles of which some, as on the west gable dormer, are original. Awide belt course of fishscale shingles encircles the building, visually separating the first and second floor.

two side porches, which seem to be modeled after a pattern in William T. Comstock's Modern Architectural Designs and Details (New York 1881), Plates 49 and 51, which feature turned posts supporting quarter sunbursts under a frieze of turned spindles. The porches now only differ from the originals in that they have utilitarian concrete steps with pipe railing. Originally there were five low-rising steps around the sides and front of the porches. Continued 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 Washington School, Weymouth, Massachusetts Item number OMB NO.

1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 date entered 7 Page 1 The ornamented facade of the center pavilion, topped by a finial, starts with a clipped gable and drops down to a lunette window with straight mullions topped by a keystone. Below this window is a central panel of clapboards with quarter sunbursts in the top corners. In between the flared skirting of the belt course, and as a lower extension of the central panel, at the second story level, there are three windows, the larger one in the center being separated from the one on either side by fishscale shingles that are in turn broken by three plain belt courses of wooden siding. The interior plan, with three classrooms on each floor around a central hall, as well as teachers' room, cloak rooms, and lavatories, was a modern step for Washington's schoolhouse designs.

While the plan has been somewhat altered dur ing rehabilitation, the interior does retain the original oiled pine woodwork and hard pine floors. Decorative details such as the finely reeded door and window frames and the wainscoting, randomly grooved, are found in all the classrooms and halls. The property has recently under gone alterations according to the Secretary of Interior 's Standards for Rehabilitiation and now serves as office space. former ly white exterior has been repainted in colors appropriate to the late 19th century- 8.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Washington School, Weymouth, Massachusetts Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 .1700-1799 1800-1899 1900 Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below archeology-prehistoric - community planning archeology-historic conservation agriculture economics Xarchitecture X education art engineering commerce exploration/settlement communications industry invention landscape architecture religion law science literature sculpture military social/ musIc humanitarian philosophy theater politics/government _ transportation x other (specify) community development Specific dates 1887 Builder

Statement of significance

Architect Shepard S. Woodcock (1824-1910) Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Washington School, Weymouth, retains integrity of location, design, materials, feeling, workmanship, and association. Built in 1887-1888, the school stands as a rare survival: a virtually intact wood-frame example of a late 19th century educational structure, built on a domestic scale. It is a fine example of the Queen Anne style, architect-designed, with well-preserved detailing on both interior and exterior. The building thus meets Criterion C of the National Register of Historic Places on the local level. East Weymouth was one of four villages that evolved within the Weymouth bounds (incor porated 1635,. In 1681, the first school was built near the town common, west of the nominated property. By 1799, eight school districts were established, each of which was to provide its own schoolhouse.

The district system continued in use in weymouth until 1871. By the mid 19th century, East weymouth, one of the cores of weymouth's population, had four single-room schoolhouses, the High, Pleasant, School, and Grant Street Schools. None are believed to be extant, although it is possible that the materials from several of the schools may have been incorporated into later residences. Under the aegis of the town's first Superintendent of Schools and his successors, Weymouth undertook a building program that began ca. 1870 and lasted until 1915 and was designed to provide new, modern facilities for the town's schoolchildren. East weymouth developed as a small, compact industrial center with a distinct residential section. Its development was centered around the juncture of three colonial-per1od roadways: present-day commer cial, Broad, and High Streets.

Shoemaking was common throughout the town during the late 18th and early 19th century, with "ten-footers" (small shoeshops) scattered across weymouth. In East weymouth as elsewhere in Massachusetts, lumber and grist mills were established along the town's riverways (the Back River, site of a number of mills, flows just to the north and west of the nominated property). Boatbuilding and other mar ine-associated industries were also present. In the 1830s, East weymouth's economy diversified with the construction of an iron foundry, the Weymouth Iron Company, along the banks of the Back River. Iron ore shipped from Hingham Bay up the Back River was then hauled overland to the smelters. The company produced the nails and tacks needed for the town's increas ingly active shoe industry.

Economic prosperity brought a period of concentrated building throughout the mid 19th century to all parts of Weymouth and the town's population grew steadily. The large, wood-frame Washington Schoo1 was built at the center of East Weymouth, overlooking the Broad/Commercial Street juncture, to serve the village's growing populace. It was designed on a larger scale than earlier school buildings, with six classrooms on two floors that together served to replace the smaller district schools. The High Street School, which hadstood on this site since 1839, was demolished in 1886 to make room for the nominated property. Continued 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References See Continuation Sheet 10. Geographical Data .5 acre Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name weymouth UT M References AL19 Zone L3 4 1 315,9 Easting Quadrangle scale 1:25000 4167152,00 Northing E G B IILu LILLL Zone Easting Northing -L LUILLL LLILLL LUILLL LILILEL HLJ LLILu LIILLL Verbal boundary description and justification Bounded Northerly by High Street, 145.07'; Easterly by land now or formerly Harold P1 Greene et ux, 162.56'; Southerlyby land now or formerly of said Greene and now or formerly George E. Connors, 136.76'; Westerly by School Street, 178.17- See Weymouth Assessors Plan, List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or cóunty boundáries Plot 1, Block 312. (Attached) state N/A code county code state code county code 11.

Form Prepared By name/title Betsy Friedberg, Preservtion Planner, Massachusetts Historical Commission, with Preservation Consultants Minxie Fanin and Monique Lehner. organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date March 1986 street & number 80 Boylston Street telephone 617-727-8470 city or town Boston state Massachusetts 12.

State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national State x local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated State Historic Preservation Officer signature Valuie Talmage Executive Director title State Historic Preservation Officer date May 2,1986 For NPS use only hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register Mlaußye J Rroso o ine Mailoal Rgiser Entered 1m Rational Registed Attest: Chief of Registration date 6-5-86 date U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

: 1983 0 - 419-311 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Washington School, Weymouth, Massachusetts Continuation sheet Item number OMB NO.1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 date entered 8 Page 1 The architect of the Washington School, as well as others in Weymouth, was Maine-born Shepard S. Woodoock. His design for a Queen Anne/Shingle Style school was in keeping with domestic architecture in Weymouth during this period of intense growth. The building originally had a tower, now lost, which was in all likelihood similar to that on East Weymouth's Queen Anne-style Jefferson School (1889, NR 1981), also the work of Woodoock.

He was already known to Weymouth as the designer of two schools, now demolished: the Franklin School (1877-1878, Stick Style) and the Hunt School (1881-1882, style unknown). From 1855-1901, Woodcock headed an architectural firm in Boston whose output included many public buildings such as seminaries, Masonic halls, churches, and schools. An article in the Boston Transcript on March 3, 1910, reported that Woodoock's firm had built fifty schools in a variety of currently popular styles. His work pleased the citizenry of weymouth, who praised the Washington School for its comfort, generous scale and impressive appearance. It was deemed a "valuable addition of the town" in the September 9, 1887, issue of the weymouth weekly Gazette. The school remained in use as a six-grade elementery school for most of the 20th century.

By the 1970s, with the opening of a more modern facility in East weymouth, it was serving only the first two grades, as well as special-education classes. In 1979, a "Jackson square Urban Design Plan" named the school as a "major focal point for the area," requiring only cosmetic attention to be brought back to its former splendor. The school was closed in 1981 and remained vacant until 1984, when it was sold and rehabilitated for use as office space. NPS Form10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Washington School, Weymouth, Massachusetts Item number OMB No. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 BC IVeC date entered 9 Page 1 9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Boston Transcript. March 3, 1910, p. 13. Obituary of S.S. Woodoock. Nash, Gilbert.

Historical Sketch of the Iown of weymouth, Massachusetts from 1622 to 1884. Town of Weymouth: 1885. Nason, The Rev. Ellas, Gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts. Boston: B. B. Russell, 57 Cornhill, 1890. Weymouth Historical Society, History of weymouth, Massachusetts. Vols. 1 and 2, 1923. Weymouth Planning Board, Jackson Square Design Plan. 1979. Weymouth 350Anniver sary Committee, Weymouth 350 Anniversary. 1972. Weymouth Town Reports. 1886, 1887. Ihe Weymouth Gazette. September 9, 1887, page 2. Washington Street School 8 School Street Weymouth, Massachusetts Sketch is a faithful copy of one appearing in the Wayland Gazette of September 9, 1887 = FE SNCTeSHLC.C Pn a8Te Washington School (Formerly High St. School, 1888 ~1981 Russ Watten NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COMHERCIALST. Huing BROAD ST.

PROPERTY MAP FORM (Attachment) SKETCH MAP WASHINGTON SCHOOL REFERENCE : Map of the School Department of Weymouth SCALE: one inch = 200 feet COMMERLIAL SRANT BRUAD SCITOOL. ST N washington School CEDAR ST. WASO Form - 177 ("'R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET 86001218 Washington School Norfolk County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: -sample request Working No.- MAY Fed. Reg. Date: 2 13/82 Date Due: 86 Intered Action: LACCEPT _ RETURN Mational Register REJECT- Federal Agency: 7 1986 6/21/86 586 -appeal -NR decision Recom./Criteria Reviewer Discipline Date see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: _ _ technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2.

Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? yes no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one unaltered altered Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use Check one J original site moved date 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect 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 nominated property Quadrangle name UTM References Verbal boundary 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 local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date title 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to _ Signed - Date - Phone: GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet No 1 of three 8x10 The Washington School 8 School Street East Weymouth Photo by Monique B. Lehner, April 1984 72 South Pleasant Street Hingham, MA 02043 Negative with photographer. Pavillion facade and East side. No. 2 of three 8x10 The Weymouth School 8 Schoo1 Street East Weymouth Photo by Monique B.

Lehner, April 1984 72 South Plesant Street Hingham, MA 02043 Negative with photographer Detail of pavillion gable. No. 3 of three 8x10 The Washington School 8 School Street East Weymouth Photo by Monique B. Lehner, April 1984 12 South Pleasant St. Hingham, MA 02043 Negative with photographer. Detail of northeast porch. WASHINGTON SCHOOL REALTY TRUST P.O. Box 21, Weymouth, Massachusetts 02189 (617)337-4253. April 9, 1986 Carol Shull, Chief National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Department of the Interior 18th. and C Streets, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 Dear Ms. Shull: Washington School Realty Trust recognizes that the following property will be considered for Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places by the Massachusetts State Review Board at its meeting on April 9, 1986. Washington School Professional Building 8 School Street Weymouth, Ma.

02189 Washington School Realty Trust is aware of both the incentives and disincentives of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 and other consequences of National Register listing and hereby waives by right the 30 day commenting period. Thank you. Very truly yours, Richard F. Ahern MANAGING TRUSTEE c.c.: Sarah J. Zimmerman, Preservation Planning Director Massachusetts Historical Commission GUT ANIDC 9093546536 The Commonwealthof Massachusetts Office of the Secretary of State Michael Joseph Connolly, Secretary Massachusetts Historical Commission Valerie A. Talmage Executive Director State Historic Preservation Officer April 24, 1986 Carol Shull National Register of Historic Places Department of Interior, National Park Service P.O. Box 37127 Washington, DC 20013-7127 Dear Ms.

Shull: Enclosed you will find the following no mination forms: Acushnet, LONG PLAIN FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, 1342 North Main Street. Wareham, TOBEY HOMESTEAD, Main Street and Sandwich Road. Weymouth, W ASHINGTON SCHOOL, 8 School Street HPCA 0677-85-MA-85-0690/10196 MA. All have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Owners were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30-75 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Com ments received to date are attached to the nomination forms. Due to a technical error, the property owner of the Washington School was notified less than 30 days prior to the State Review Board's meeting. For this reason, the owner has waived its right to the 30-day commenting letter, and fully supports the nomination.

The Chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Weymouth was notified in time, so no waiver is necessary. Sincerely, Xly timmemen Sarah Zim merman Director, Preservation Planning Massachusetts Historical Com mission SZ/ls MAY 7 1986 80 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 727-8470