Roberts School
Also known as: Little Red Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1873 on Union Street in Holbrook, Massachusetts, this small clapboard schoolhouse was the first public school constructed by the town after it separated from Randolph in 1872. Local carpenter Morrison M. Alden supplied the materials and built it, and the land was donated by the family of Rev. Joseph Roberts. The 1½-story building has a granite foundation, a front-gable roof, Italianate-style details and two front entries originally used by boys and girls. Inside, a single classroom retains its blackboards and horizontal flushboard dado. The school closed in 1893, reopened in 1895, closed again in 1938, and returned to use in 1953 as a kindergarten during the postwar population boom, finally closing in 1979. The Holbrook Historical Society acquired it in 1980, painted it red, and uses it for archives, exhibits and local history lessons. It is listed for its role in local education and as a well-preserved one-room school.
Significance in brief: It was the first public school built by Holbrook after the town's incorporation in 1872 and is a fine example of a one-room schoolhouse. It is the best preserved of only two extant 19th-century schools in town and remains on its original site. Its history reflects the town's growth and economic ups and downs for more than 100 years.
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 07000860, listed August 30, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 320 Union St., Holbrook |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | August 30, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000860 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873-1957 |
| Architect / builder | Morrison M. Alden (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used by the Holbrook Historical Society as an archive, exhibition and meeting space, and as a classroom for local history lessons for third graders. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.15515, -71.02321 (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 07000860.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7352043
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.