{"nrhp_refnum":"02000634","name":"Howe School","other_names":["Howe High School","Old Howe School"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"390 Boston Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Billerica","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.562078546000066,"lon":-71.26996294899993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-06-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick school building at 390 Boston Road in Billerica, Massachusetts, built in 1852 as Howe Academy with money and land from the estate of Dr. Zadok Howe. It was designed by Daniel G. Bean of Lowell.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the school is a rare brick Greek Revival schoolhouse with Italianate details and an almost unaltered exterior. It also reflects a long educational use funded by Dr. Howe's bequest and the mid-19th-century push for better school buildings and ventilation, including a ventilator by Frederick Emerson.","narrative":"Built in 1852 on Boston Road in Billerica, this two-story brick schoolhouse began as Howe Academy, a college-preparatory school for young men funded by the will of Dr. Zadok Howe, a respected physician. Daniel G. Bean of Lowell designed it, with advice from Boston educator Frederick Emerson, whose school ventilation system may survive as a roof vent. The building is mainly Greek Revival, with pilasters, a gable entrance and a dentiled cornice, and shows early Italianate touches such as arched and hooded windows on the front. Its exterior has changed little since construction, which sets it apart from many other 19th-century brick schools in Massachusetts. Inside, the original staircase, wainscoting, window moldings and attic framing remain, though dropped ceilings and paneling were added when school administrators used the space. It has served education for about a century and now holds a food pantry, with space prepared for a local museum.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Daniel G. Bean of Lowell (architect); Mr. Brackett (contractor); Benjamin Heald (foundation); Frederick Emerson (consultant, ventilation)","architectural_style":"Greek Revival/Italianate","criteria":[],"status_note":"Houses a food pantry on the first floor, with the second floor holding artifacts for a planned Billerica Museum. The exterior is largely unaltered; the interior has cosmetic changes.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.141782-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/42/7961/63796142/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/02000634.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02000634/13b3141e34-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02000634/13b3141e34-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howe_School,_Billerica_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howe_School,_Billerica_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796142","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howe_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14715599"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/howe-school-02000634/"}