Mary E. Wells School | |
Location | 80 Marcy St., Southbridge, Massachusetts |
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Coordinates | 42°4′40″N72°2′15″W / 42.07778°N 72.03750°W |
Built | 1916 |
Architect | Peabody & Stearns |
NRHP reference No. | 100008958 [1] |
Added to NRHP | May 3, 2023 |
The Mary E. Wells School is a historic school building at 80 Marcy Street in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Built in 1916, it is one the last known commissions of the architectural firm Peabody & Stearns. It was built with funding from Mary E. Wells, wife of George Wells, founder of the locally prominent American Optical Company. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. [1] The building was used as a school until 2012, and has since been converted into residences.
The former Mary E. Wells School building stands west of downtown Southbridge, on a large parcel at the northwest corner of Marcy Street and Main Street (Massachusetts Route 131). It is a U-shaped two-story masonry structure, built out of brick with cast stone trim, and set on a raised basement. The main façade, facing Marcy Street, is adorned by two projecting entry pavilions with elaborate door surrounds. [2]
The school was built in 1916 to a design by Peabody & Stearns, and is believed to be one that firm's last commissions. Originally more elaborate, the building design was simplified to reduce construction costs. It was expanded several times, in 1925 and again in the 1980s. It served as the city's first purpose-built high school, previous secondary school education having been given in the town hall. It remained in use as the high school until 1960, when the current Southbridge High School opened. It was converted into a junior high school, and was closed in 2012. The building is named for Mary E. Wells, wife of American Optical founder George Wells, who was the first woman elected to public office in the community, serving on its board of education in the 1890s. [2] It has since been converted to residential use.
Peabody & Stearns was a premier architectural firm in the Eastern United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the firm consisted of Robert Swain Peabody (1845–1917) and John Goddard Stearns Jr. (1843–1917). The firm worked on in a variety of designs but is closely associated with shingle style.
The Sarah J. Baker School is an historic school building in Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1905 by a prominent local architect, it is a well-preserved example of early 20th-century Romanesque Revival school architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and was included in the Moreland Street Historic District in 1984. It has been converted to elderly housing.
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The Union Trust Company Building is a historic bank building at 1351 Main Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. Built in 1907, it is one of the city's best examples of Beaux arts architecture, and one of only a few designs in the city by the noted architectural firm Peabody & Stearns. It is particularly noted for its facade, which resembles a triumphal arch. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Notre Dame Catholic Church is a historic church in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It is one of two churches serving the Parish of Saint John Paul II; Saint Mary Church, located at the corner of Marcy and Hamilton Street, also serves as the location of the Parish Center and Rectory.
The Dani and Soldani Cabinet Makers and Wood Workers Factory is a historic factory building at 484 Worcester Street in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Built in 1914, it is a good example of a small early-20th century factory, and is important for its association with both the locally significant optical industry, and its history of Italian immigration. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The Joseph Davis House is a historic house at 41 Elm Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Shingle style house was built in 1884 to a design by the Boston architectural firm of Peabody & Stearns, and is one of the most elaborate of that style in the city. It was built for Joseph Davis, the son of prominent Worcester lawyer Isaac Davis, and was home for many years to William Rice, president of the Washburn and Moen Company The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It now houses professional offices.
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The Twinehurst American Optical Company Neighborhood is a residential historic district in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It consists of seven three family houses built by the owners of the American Optical Company to provide housing for their workers. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, Rectory, School and Convent is a historic church complex at 67 Harvard Street, and 3 and 5 Linden Place, in Brookline, Massachusetts in the Archdiocese of Boston. It was the first Roman Catholic Church in Brookline, and the first in the nation to bear the name. Most of its buildings were built between 1880 and 1906, and are reflective of the growth of the area's Irish immigrant community during that time. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
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