District Five Schoolhouse
Also known as: Fenner Hill Schoolhouse; Little Red Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1835, the District Five or Fenner Hill Schoolhouse is a small, one-room brick school on School Street in Webster, Massachusetts. It measures about 32 by 25 feet, rests on a granite-capped foundation, and has granite sills and lintels, with its entry in the south gable end. Small frame additions at the front and rear held a vestibule and, later, heating and plumbing functions. Harvey Wood won the construction contract for $439, and the land was bought for $7. It was the first new school established after Webster was incorporated in 1832, serving the southern and western part of town. The district chose a traditional form, and the brick helped the building last. It served as an ungraded school and then, from 1883, as a primary school, remaining in use into the late 1930s. Today it houses the Webster-Dudley Historical Society museum and is valued as a well-preserved Greek Revival district school.
Significance in brief: It is a well-preserved example of a Greek Revival district school, built when decentralized schools were at their height and during the first municipal construction in the newly formed town of Webster. It embodies the independent school districts that provided local institutions below the level of town meeting. It also reflects the growth of the surrounding neighborhood as Webster developed from mill villages into a commercial center.
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 91000697, listed June 5, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | School St. between Boyden and 1st Sts., Webster |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | June 5, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000697 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1835-1935 |
| Architect / builder | Wood, Harvey |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a museum and meeting place for the Webster-Dudley Historical Society; the interior was remodeled in 1973 and the rear ell was rebuilt after an early 1970s fire. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.04293, -71.88227 (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 91000697.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5283321
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.