The Martin W. Carr School is a historic school building located at 25 Atherton Street, in the
Spring Hill area of
Somerville, Massachusetts. Built in 1898, it is a prominent local example of Colonial and Renaissance Revival architecture, and the only known surviving work of local architect
Aaron H. Gould. It served the local neighborhood as a school until 1980, and was subsequently converted into
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
s. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Description and history
The Martin W. Carr School is located in Spring Hill, one of Somerville's oldest residential subdivisions, at the junction of Atherton and Beech Streets. Its lot extends northward to also abut Cleveland Street. It is a four-story H-shaped brick building, built in 1898 as an elementary school with fourteen classrooms. It was named in honor of Martin W. Carr, a successful Somerville manufacturer who was active in city government serving over the years as alderman, city councilor, and member of the school committee. Carr's factory, in buildings now converted to lofts in
Davis Square
Davis Square is a major intersection in the northwestern section of Somerville, Massachusetts where several streets meet: Holland Street, Dover Street, Day Street, Elm Street, Highland Avenue, and College Avenue. The name is often used to refer ...
, manufactured jewelry, novelties, and metal ware. The handsome school building was built of red brick in the
Renaissance Revival style to a design by Aaron Gould. Gould was then a prominent local architect who designed a number of significant public buildings, of which none but this now survive.
The City of Somerville closed the Carr School in 1980. The building was sold to a developer who converted it to residential use in 1997. It was initially a rental building and subsequently converted to condos. Today there are 20 condominiums in the Carr School. There are studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedroom condos on three floors plus a lower level.
The Carr School is located across Atherton Street from one of Somerville's most unusual architectural landmarks, the
Round House.
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerville, Massachusetts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carr, Martin W., School
School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
School buildings completed in 1898
Schools in Somerville, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Somerville, Massachusetts
Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts
Educational institutions disestablished in 1980