Warren, Levi, Jr., High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1926-27 at 1600 Washington Street in West Newton, this brick junior high school was designed by the Boston firm Ripley & LeBoutillier in the Georgian Revival style. It was Newton's second junior high school, after the F. A. Day school of 1922, and answered a surge in enrollment that saw the city build 14 new schools by 1939. A pedimented central section with cupola and bridged chimneys is flanked by long wings and pedimented end pavilions with carved gable fields, quoins and rusticated basements. It is described as the earliest and most interesting of Newton's Georgian Revival public schools. The school was named for Levi F. Warren, longtime headmaster of the Peirce School. A three-story addition by The Architects Collaborative followed in 1959. Budget constraints and falling enrollment closed the school in 1982, leaving it vacant and in poor condition, with re-use plans under discussion.
Significance in brief: It was Newton's second junior high school and reflects the city's rapid early 20th-century growth and need to house a growing school population. The nomination calls it Newton's most architecturally outstanding school, a masterful Georgian Revival design that retains its original features.
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 90000032, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1600 Washington St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000032 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Ripley & LeBoutillier |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant since the school closed in 1982; condition described as poor. A plan for mixed residential use was under consideration but not finalized. |
| Acreage | 3.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.34321, -71.23536 (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 90000032.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6535402
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.