No. 4 Schoolhouse
Also known as: Christian Hill School; East School
Why it's listed
District No. 4 Schoolhouse in Barre, Massachusetts, is a one-room, wood-frame school built in 1883 on Farrington Road. The 1 1/2-story building rests on a granite foundation, with a projecting central bay enclosing a raised recital area and separate boys' and girls' coatrooms. James H. Potter built it for $1,200 after townspeople complained that the earlier brick school was shabby and condemned. Its plans were a scaled-down version of the District No. 12 School at Barre Plains. It taught children of northeast Barre, including Irish, Italian and Polish families, until it closed in 1930 as farm consolidation reduced the rural population. The No. 4 Community Club bought it in 1937, added a kitchen shed, and still uses it for reunions, fairs and suppers. It is the only intact survivor of Barre's seventeen district schools, and it retains its original design, materials and workmanship. The lot may also hold archaeological remains such as privies and refuse deposits.
Significance in brief: It is the only intact surviving district school of the seventeen built in Barre. It is an unusually well-preserved example of the schoolhouses used in the district systems of nineteenth-century rural Massachusetts. It was nominated under Criteria A and C at the local level, for education and architecture, and the form notes archaeological potential on the lot.
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 88000711, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Farrington Rd., Barre |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000711 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881-1937 (amended by the Keeper; 1883 should be the beginning date) |
| Architect / builder | James H. Potter |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Since 1937 it has served as a civic center for the No. 4 Community Club, hosting reunions, meetings, fairs, craft shows and suppers. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.44554, -72.08438 (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 88000711.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7043553
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.