Lyman School for Boys
Also known as: Massachusetts State Reform School; See Also:Fisher,Nathan,Hou
Why it's listed
Powder Hill in Westborough holds the former Lyman School for Boys, a state reform school campus first developed in 1886. Spread across roughly 200 acres of hilltop, slopes, fields and woodland, it was the first campus in the Massachusetts system laid out on the cottage plan. Small brick dormitories, staff housing, a hospital, a school and farm buildings replaced the idea of one large central structure, with the aim of giving the boys a more homelike setting. Surviving buildings include Queen Anne cottages from 1886 to 1903, a 1909 Arts and Crafts dormitory, Colonial Revival dormitories of the early 1930s, and several older farmhouses adapted for school use, two of them individually listed in 1980. Since the school closed in the early 1970s, demolition, neglect and new construction have reduced the campus, and the original Theodore Lyman Hall is gone. The district is listed because it still conveys the form and character of the school as it developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the campus as the first in the Massachusetts state system to use the dispersed cottage plan, with small 'Family Houses' replacing a large central institution. Its Queen Anne, Craftsman and Colonial Revival buildings illustrate late nineteenth and early twentieth century reform school design. The school itself traces to the 1848 state reform school, described as an early state effort to rehabilitate boys.
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 94000693, listed July 25, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Oak and South Sts., Westborough |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | July 25, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000693 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | George Clough (Hillside Cottage and Theodore Lyman Hall); Stephen Earle (Boulder Cottage); Preston & Kahlmeyer (Worcester-Wachusett Cottage); William Gibbons Preston (Old School); Cutting & Holman (1875 main building enlargement) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic - Federal; Late Victorian - Queen Anne; 19th/20th Century Revivals - Colonial Revival; 19th/20th Century American - Craftsman |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education, Social History |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The school closed in the early 1970s. The upper campus holds a micro electronics center and wildlife offices, and the lower campus is used by agencies, with some buildings rehabilitated. The central campus is described as largely unused and deteriorating, and some buildings are vacant. |
| Acreage | 200 |
| Coordinates | 42.29003, -71.62988 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 94000693.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6708083
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.