Tenth Street School

Built 1880

Tenth Street School Pre-Rehab            Tenth Street School circa 2005

Building History:

The Tenth Street School was built in 1880 in Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood.  It was built to relieve the overload from the nearby Varnum School, which was being used for both primary and grammar classes.  One of three primary schools constructed in Lowell in 1880, the building cost $7,500 to construct.

Construction of the school reflected enormous residential growth across the city after 1865.  New property owners were attracted to the neighborhood and commercial development along Bridge Street increased the area’s sense of community.  Recognizing the neighborhood’s growth, the City also built a new fire station on Fourth Street in 1879 along with the Tenth Street School one year later.  The newly formed St. Michael’s Parish of 1883 continued to attract many Catholics to the neighborhood, particularly those of Irish descent.

The Tenth Street School was built as an “L” shaped Italianate style building.  The building’s two main entrances have incised bracketed entrance porticos with pedimented hoods.  Other Italianate features include scrolled cornice brackets.

Preservation and Reuse:

Last used actively as a school in the 1970s, the building was boarded up and then used for administrative offices and storage for a short time.  Sold by the City to a private developer and builder in 2003, the building was converted into two residential condominium units.  Included in the extensive rehabilitation effort was removal of inappropriate vinyl siding and the replication of missing trim and other details including scrolled brackets, paneled corner boards, and window hoods.