Bigelow School
Why it's listed
Bigelow School, at the corner of West Fourth and E Streets in South Boston, is a four-story Classical Revival public school completed around 1901 to designs by City Architect Charles J. Bateman. Built of tan brick with Warsaw bluestone trim, it forms a symmetrical block of nine bays by twelve, with a rusticated first floor, quoins, balustraded paired windows and a pedimented central entrance on Fourth Street. The plan is a stunted U, with classrooms off a central lobby and an assembly hall on the fourth floor. A school has occupied the site since 1850, when a girls' school named for Mayor John P. Bigelow was built; it was razed in 1899. A 1901 account praised the new building for its seventeen classrooms, gymnasium, library and modern heating and ventilation. It was listed as an exemplary Classical Revival school and as a representative work of Bateman. The school closed in 1976, and rehabilitation into housing was planned.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is one of the most representative examples of a Classical Revival school and a representative work of Charles J. Bateman, a noted Boston architect who served as City Architect. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It also reflects Boston school design principles of functional planning and stylistic simplicity.
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 85000316, listed February 21, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 350 W. 4th St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | February 21, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000316 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Charles J. Bateman |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The school closed in 1976 and is listed as a vacant school; it was planned to be rehabilitated into housing. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Fort Point Channel Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.35221, -71.04735 (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 85000316.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4906816
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.