Varnum School
Why it's listed
Varnum School at 103 Sixth Street in Lowell's Centralville neighborhood combines three building campaigns. The original two-story brick Greek Revival schoolhouse dates to 1857. A small two-story addition followed in 1886, and in 1897 a much larger three-story Classical Revival building designed by Arthur M. Burtt was attached. The addition has a pedimented central pavilion, modillioned cornice, round-arched third-story windows and extensive granite trim. When opened in 1857, the school was the first grammar school in Lowell built with separate classrooms for each grade, with eight rooms meant for sixty students each. It was the first school constructed in Centralville after the area's 1851 annexation to Lowell, and the 1897 addition made it the largest grammar school in the city. Its significance covers education and architecture from 1857 to 1920, when junior high schools began to change how Lowell used its school buildings. The school remains in use as an elementary school.
Significance in brief: The school is significant under Criterion A for its role in the mid- and late-19th century growth of Lowell's school system, especially in the newly annexed Centralville area. It is significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved Greek Revival schoolhouse paired with an exemplary Classical Revival addition. The 1857 building was the first Lowell grammar school with separate classrooms for each grade.
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 94001591, listed January 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 103 Sixth St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | January 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 94001591 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1857-1920 |
| Architect / builder | 1857: unknown; 1897: Arthur M. Burtt |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival; 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Has remained in continuous use and currently serves as an elementary school; some boarded openings and poor maintenance are noted. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.65119, -71.29907 (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 94001591.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7916062
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.