Barnum School
Why it's listed
Barnum School is a square, two-story brick building on Barnum Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, completed in 1926 in the Georgian Revival style. George W. Briggs designed it, and Walter H. Barker was the contractor. It replaced the earlier Barnum Street School, which burned the same year. The facade has three bays, with a central projecting bay holding the main entrance. Some windows have been filled in and now read as large brick panels. A cornice and brick parapet mark the roofline, and a scrolled plaque with a finial carries the school's name. Semi-fireproof construction and generously proportioned classrooms made it the most modern school design of its day, during a period of continuing educational reform. It is one of three surviving Taunton schools from the 1920s in this style. With the Hopewell School, it is considered among the city's best preserved examples of early twentieth-century public school architecture. It retains its integrity and remains in use as a school.
Significance in brief: It is one of three surviving Taunton schools built in the 1920s in the Georgian Revival style. Its semi-fireproof construction and generously proportioned classrooms made it the most modern school design of its time. It meets criteria A and C and, with the Hopewell School, is among Taunton's best preserved examples of 20th-century public school architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84002088, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Barnum St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002088 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George W. Briggs, Architect; Walter H. Barker, Contractor |
| Architectural style | Georgian-Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a school in present use, owned by the City of Taunton; the form records no alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.89448, -71.09523 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84002088.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4862014
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.