District 7 School
Also known as: Chicopee School
Why it's listed
District 7 School, later called the Chicopee School, is a small brick schoolhouse on rural Chicopee Row in Groton, Massachusetts. Built around 1833 by Peter Nutting on the site of an earlier wooden schoolhouse, it has a symmetrical three-bay front, paired entry doors, a wood-frame enclosed porch and a detached 19th-century outhouse. Inside, a single schoolroom keeps plaster walls, beaded wainscoting, blackboards, a wood stove and a late 19th-century remodeling. Students of the district were taught here until 1916, when schools were centralized. The building then became a meeting place and social hall, and it still serves that role. It is one of four surviving district schools in town, out of 14 once in use, and the only one that retains its school features and has not been turned into a home. Its long community use and its Federal-influenced vernacular design account for its listing. The school fund that maintains it dates to a bequest made in 1785.
Significance in brief: It is one of four surviving former district schools in Groton, out of 14 at the time of its construction. It is the only one that keeps its school design and interior features and the only one not converted to housing. Its long civic use as a school and then a meeting place supports Criterion A, and its brick construction, intact plan and symmetrical openings support Criterion 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 07001487, listed January 29, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Chicopee Row, Groton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | January 29, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001487 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1833-1957 |
| Architect / builder | Peter Nutting, builder |
| Architectural style | Vernacular; Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a school from 1833 to 1916, then as a social hall and meeting place, a use that continues. The building is described as in excellent structural condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.63169, -71.54786 (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 07001487.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5283267
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.