West School
Also known as: Centre School; West School Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1794-1795 by the Town of Woburn and later passed to the newly incorporated Town of Burlington, this one-room schoolhouse at 106 Bedford Street served rural Massachusetts children for about a century. Originally at Burlington Center, it was moved in 1839 to serve the western part of town and remained a school until about 1897. A front-gable roof with Greek Revival cornice returns was added in 1874-1875. In the early twentieth century it was altered for use as a private garage. Facing demolition, it was bought and restored in 1964 by volunteers who formed the Burlington Historical Society, working from historic photographs to rebuild the façade and vestibule. The interior keeps its wainscoting, blackboards, plastered walls, cast iron stove and wide pine floor. The building is listed for its role in local education history and as a surviving example of a Federal period schoolhouse. Its move in 1839 is noted as a consideration.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be significant under Criterion A for its link to the development of education in Burlington, and under Criterion C as an example of a Federal period one-room schoolhouse. It retains much original fabric despite use as a garage and a 1964 restoration. Criteria Consideration B applies because the building was moved.
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 06000398, listed May 17, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 106 Bedford St., Burlington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 17, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000398 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1795-1897 |
| Architectural style | Federal; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored by the Burlington Historical Society in 1964 and used as a community museum (West School Museum). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50616, -71.21937 (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 06000398.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7986438
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.