{"nrhp_refnum":"09000055","name":"Coolidge School","other_names":["New Coolidge School"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"319 Arlington St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Watertown","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.37333621100004,"lon":-71.15772774399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-02-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Community Planning and Development","Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story red brick, E-shaped former public elementary school at 319 Arlington Street in Watertown, Massachusetts, built in two phases: the west portion in 1915 and the east portion in 1925.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the school reflects Watertown's growth as an industrial town and the evolution of its public school system in the early 20th century. It is also an intact example of Classical Revival school design by architects Clarence P. Hoyt and Curtis W. Bixby. It qualifies locally under Criteria A and C.","narrative":"Coolidge School, at 319 Arlington Street in Watertown, is a two-story red brick school with cast-stone trim and a flat roof. Its E-shaped plan was built in two phases: the west block in 1915 and the east block in 1925, with an assembly hall projecting north from the south block. Clarence P. Hoyt and Curtis W. Bixby, architects known for school designs, drew it in the Classical Revival style. The school opened with ten classrooms for the first seven grades and quickly filled as the east end of town grew. Students came from many immigrant families, and the basement cooking rooms also hosted evening classes for foreign-born mothers. It served as an elementary school until 1984. Its significance rests on its role in Watertown's school system and on its well-preserved architecture, even though the original windows and doors were replaced. The classrooms have since been converted to residential units, while the corridors, north stairs and assembly hall retain original features.","period_of_significance":"1915-1958","architect_builder":"Clarence P. Hoyt, Curtis W. Bixby","architectural_style":"Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current function listed as vacant on the form; the narrative says the classrooms have been rehabilitated into residential units, with windows, doors and the main stair rebuilt in 2008.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:03.613158-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/87/7958/63795887/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/09000055.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000055/b182ccdb85-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000055/b182ccdb85-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coolidge_School,_Watertown_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:Coolidge_School,_Watertown_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795887","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coolidge_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15713047"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/coolidge-school-09000055/"}