Ellice School
Why it's listed
Ellice School is a one-story, two-room Greek Revival schoolhouse on Pleasant Street in the Rockville section of Millis, Massachusetts. Built around 1849 as District #2 school for the town of Medway, it passed to Millis when that town was incorporated in 1885, and the school committee then named it for John Ellice, an early Rockville settler. The wood-shingled building measures 35 by 53 feet and rests on granite and brick foundations. It taught local children until 1931. Later, local women sewed clothing for the poor here during the Depression and made bandages during World War II. Alterations include moving the entrances from the gable front to the sides, around 1915 to 1920. The building is now vacant and used for storage, and it is badly deteriorated, with plywood over its windows and fallen ceilings. Blackboards, wainscoting, doors, coat pegs and some window sash remain, along with granite fence posts and a stone wall on the lot, so the school's appearance in use can still be understood.
Significance in brief: The school is tied to the history of public education in Medway and later Millis, which was incorporated in 1885. It was named for early settler John Ellice and served as District #2 school until 1931. Enough original fabric survives inside and out to show how the school looked and worked.
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 10000785, listed September 24, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 185 Pleasant St, Millis |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 24, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000785 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant and used only for storage; in deteriorated condition with boarded windows, caved-in ceilings and failed plaster. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.14569, -71.35807 (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 10000785.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16890986
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.