South Junior High School
Also known as: Reay E. Sterling Middle School
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 at 444 Granite Street in southwest Quincy, this beige brick school was designed by the Boston firm Shephard and Stearns as the city's third junior high school. It went up as Quincy responded to a 1920s population boom and to overcrowded high schools, and it included a theatre, gymnasium, woodworking shops, mechanical drawing room, art and music rooms, and a print shop alongside classrooms and laboratories. The symmetrical five-part facade has projecting end pavilions, a central section with giant pilasters, three entrances with Greek pediments, and brick diaper-pattern panels on the pavilion ends. The brick was meant to resemble stone. The building reports no major alterations and remains in good condition as a middle school. It is the best preserved of Quincy's three 1920s junior high schools and is recognized at the local level for its architecture and its link to the city's early twentieth-century school building campaign.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is a well preserved example of 1920s secondary school architecture by a noted Boston firm. It is also tied to Quincy's 1920s population boom and its long school building campaign. It is the best preserved of Quincy's three 1920s junior high schools and one of two intact pre-1930 schools not already listed.
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 89001343, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 444 Granite St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001343 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Shephard and Stearns |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a middle school; condition described as good, with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 4.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.24012, -71.01586 (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 89001343.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7567586
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.