National Register of Historic Places

Dennison School House

Southbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 21, 1989
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89000551

About this property

Dennison School House is a historic school building (now a private residence) at Dennison Lane in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Built about 1849, it is the city's only surviving rural district schoolhouse built in brick. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The former Dennison School House is located in a rural setting of southwestern Southbridge, on the east side of Dennison Lane near its junction with Dennison Crossing. It is a modest 1+1⁄2-story brick structure, with a gabled roof. The main facade is three bays wide, with sash windows on either side of the entrance, which has a small transom window. A wood-frame ell extends to the right. The gable ends on the sides are framed in wood and finished in siding. The building's location is believed to be the first place in Southbridge to be occupied by a school, because a school was documented to stand here in 1795, when the area was still part of Sturbridge. The present building is estimated to have been built in 1849, based on its modest Greek Revival design. It is unusual for the use of brick in its construction; the only other brick school from the period is the larger one in the city center. The building was probably originally built with its entrance at one of the gable ends, a typical placement for small schools. Only one other rural district school survives in the city; it is a heavily altered frame structure that has also been converted to residential use. National Register of Historic Places listings in Southbridge, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Location

Southbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.06061, -72.06128

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Wells, George B. and Ruth D., House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Wells, John M., House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Durfee, Henry E., Farmhouse
Industrial
1 mi
Plimpton, Simon, Farmhouse
Industrial
1.1 mi
Glover Street Historic District
Listed
1.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Dennison School House listed on the National Register?

Dennison School House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Dennison School House?

Dennison School House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Dennison School House?

The period of significance for Dennison School House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Dennison School House?

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