Wilber, Charles R., School
Also known as: Sharon High School
Why it's listed
Set on a slight rise facing Sharon's Town Hall, the Charles R. Wilber School is a flat-roofed, T-shaped brick building at 75-85 South Main Street. Its south wing, designed by Boston architects Monks & Johnson in the Colonial Revival style, opened in 1922 as a grammar school named for the town's only known World War I casualty. A 1928-1929 north wing and auditorium, designed by Ralph Harrington Doane and Edward S. Holland in the Classical Revival style with Colonial Revival details, converted the building into Sharon High School. It later served as an intermediate school until closing in 1981. The building is significant for its place in the town's educational history and as a rare, intact example of nonresidential Colonial Revival design in Sharon. After standing vacant for years, it was rehabilitated for apartments beginning in 2009, with a new four-story wing added at the rear.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A for its role in Sharon's public education, serving as grammar school, high school and intermediate school from 1922 to 1981. Under Criterion C, it is a rare, intact example of nonresidential Colonial Revival architecture in the town and its most imposing Colonial Revival structure.
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 10000244, listed May 10, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 75-85 S Main St, Sharon |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | May 10, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000244 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1959 |
| Architect / builder | Monks & Johnson; Ralph Harrington Doane; Edward S. Holland |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival, Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant from 1981 until 2009, when rehabilitation into apartments began, including a new four-story rear addition built in 2009. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 42.12363, -71.18044 (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 10000244.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16859004
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.