Murdock School
Also known as: Old Murdock High School
Why it's listed
Murdock School is a Romanesque Revival school on Murdock Avenue in Winchendon, Massachusetts, built between 1885 and 1887. Designed by Fitchburg architect Henry M. Francis and constructed by Henry G. Morse, it combines brick and sandstone walls with a raised granite basement. A center-entry pavilion with a parapeted gable, clock tower and arched entry dominates the front, and the interior retains quartered oak finishes, wainscoting and a large second-floor assembly hall. The school was funded through the will of Ephraim Murdock, Jr., an industrialist whose family shaped local education and the woodenware industry. It cost $120,000 and was endowed with a $250,000 trust. It offered laboratories, a music room and an art room unusual for a town of about 4,390 people. It is the most elaborate school in Winchendon and the only late nineteenth or early twentieth century public school there that was privately financed.
Significance in brief: The school is tied to the development of Winchendon's educational system and to the Murdock family, especially Ephraim Murdock, Jr., whose will funded its construction and endowment. It is also the most high-style and elaborate of Winchendon's school buildings, and was considered the masterpiece of its architect. It is locally significant under criteria A and C.
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 87002562, listed January 28, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Murdock Ave., Winchendon |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | January 28, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002562 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1887-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Henry M. Francis (architect); Henry G. Morse (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Romanesque (Romanesque Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a school (current function listed as Educational/School); interior largely intact, with 1974 renovations that replaced the slate roof with asphalt shingles and some original doors. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 42.68536, -72.05378 (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 87002562.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6938254
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.