Acton High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1925 at the corner of Charter Road and Massachusetts Avenue, near the geographic center of Acton, this two-story red-brick building was the town's first constructed specifically as a high school. Boston architect John H. Bickford designed it in the Renaissance Revival style, most visible in the tall arched second-floor windows, with limestone and cast-stone trim. Two small rear additions were added around 1950. Before it opened, Acton high school classes had been held in village schoolhouses and, later, students were sent to Concord. Voters finally approved a building in 1925, and it began admitting students from Boxborough in 1927. It served as the high school until a regional high school opened in 1954, then became an elementary school for about 45 years. Now vacant, it is considered locally significant for its role in Acton's education history and as the town's best-preserved early 20th-century school building, retaining parts of its historic interior, including the former auditorium's coffered ceiling and proscenium arch.
Significance in brief: The school is tied to the history of public education in Acton, as the town's first building constructed specifically as a high school. It is also a well-preserved example of an early 20th-century revival-style brick schoolhouse, the only one of its type in the town. It occupies a prominent central location and serves as an architectural landmark.
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 11000854, listed November 22, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3 Charter Rd., Acton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | November 22, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000854 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925-1961 |
| Architect / builder | Bickford, John H./ Duncan Construction Company and John F. Cabeen |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals/Renaissance Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant/not in use. It served as a high school until the mid-1950s, then as an elementary school (McCarthy-Towne School) until about 2001. |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.47725, -71.45512 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 11000854.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4677675
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.