Coughlin School
Why it's listed
Coughlin School, at 1975 Pleasant Street in Fall River, is a brick grammar school with eight rooms, dated to about 1893 and opened in 1895. It has a low hipped roof with extended eaves, a belt course and corbelled chimneys. Romanesque detailing and delicate brickwork enliven its sturdy, symmetrical facade. It was one of nine schools built in Fall River during the 1890s to serve a growing population and replace outdated facilities. Boston architect Frank Irving Cooper, a Taunton native who studied under H.H. Richardson, designed it along with the very similar Osborn School. Cooper later designed some 200 schools across New England. At its opening the school was praised as the most convenient and attractive in the city. It was named for Dr. John Coughlin, a physician who served three times as mayor and was prominent in Democratic politics. The building was listed for its distinctive architecture, its largely intact condition and its architect's regional importance.
Significance in brief: The school is a well-detailed, largely intact example of a late 19th century brick schoolhouse. It is also the work of Frank Irving Cooper, an architect of regional importance who was known for school design. The form states it meets criteria A and C.
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 83000658, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1975 Pleasant St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000658 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Frank Irving Cooper |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a school in present use and owned by the City of Fall River at the time of the survey form (1981). |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 41.68458, -71.12775 (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 83000658.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5176076
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.