Fitch, Ezra, School
Why it's listed
Ezra Fitch School, at 10 Ash Street in Waltham, is a T-shaped primary school of buff brick that opened in the fall of 1932. The Boston firm Fay, Spofford and Thorndike designed it, Ralph Temple Jackson served as engineer, and the local firm M.F. Stankard and Son built it for $124,722.27. It was named for Ezra Fitch, a longtime president of the American Waltham Watch Co. The building was part of a South End school reorganization, and students from the discontinued Bemis School were transferred to it. Its projecting center pavilion, brick piers with stylized Art Deco plaques, metal entrance panels and large multipane steel sash windows give it a streamlined look. It is the only Art Deco school in the city and one of only three Art Deco buildings in Waltham, standing out among municipal buildings that usually follow classical models. A larger modern addition at the rear has not harmed the original design.
Significance in brief: The school is a locally sophisticated example of early 1930s Art Deco school design, and the only Art Deco school building in Waltham. It was a late addition to the city's municipal building program and reflected a consolidation of school services on the South Side, which had grown rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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 89001489, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 10 Ash St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001489 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Fay, Spofford and Thorndike; engineer Ralph Temple Jackson; general contractor M.F. Stankard and Son |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a school, in good condition, with a substantial modern rear addition that is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.36684, -71.24251 (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 89001489.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q130484236
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.