• Oldest school building in Boston in continuous use as a school
• Currently houses an important institution serving Boston's Chinese community
• Threatened by problems associated with deferred maintenance
Historic Boston Incorporated 1999 Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook : Property
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| Quincy School (Old) | Chinatown |
| • First school in the
nation built with separate classrooms for each grade • Oldest school building in Boston in continuous use as a school • Currently houses an important institution serving Boston's Chinese community • Threatened by problems associated with deferred maintenance |
|
| Name: Quincy School (Old) | Bldg SqFt: 24,414 | Lot SqFt: 16,926 | |
| Address: 88-90 Tyler Street | Ward: 3 | Parcel: 5132 | |
| Neighborhood: Chinatown | Zoning: Chinatown District | ||
| Year Built: 1847 | Use: Owner-run school | ||
| Style: Greek Revival | Condition: Fair | ||
| Architect(s): Gridley J. F. Bryant | Owner: Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association 90 Tyler Street Boston, MA 02111 |
||
| Historic Certification: National Register eligible | |||
| FY99 Building Assessment: $735,500 FY02 Building Assessment: $1,244,300 |
FY99 Tax: N/A FY02 Tax: N/A |
||
| FY99 Land Assessment: $725,000 FY02 Land Assessment: $895,000 |
Tax Status: Exempt | ||
Preservation Strategy:
Given the deteriorated condition of this building, the owner should either a) dispose of the property or b) carefully assess the building's condition and options for its use, develop a coordinated approach to securing funds, rehabilitate the building, and perhaps even consider restoring its historic appearance. Could be a candidate for HBI to carry out a pre-development feasibility study.
Significance:
The Quincy Grammar School on Tyler Street was the first school in the United States to have separate classrooms for each grade and to provide separate desks for each student. Following the German-influenced theories of education reformer Horace Mann, the school also incorporated a kindergarten and a gymnasium. Although the Bryant-designed Greek Revival massing is intact, a fire destroyed the building’s original slate roof and bell tower in 1858. The hurricane of 1938 destroyed the high mansard replacement roof, which the school board did not replace. Currently used on weekends by the private Kwong Kow Chinese Culture School.
Preservation Challenges:
This extremely significant school building reportedly has serious deferred maintenance problems that its current owner has not addressed. In the early 1980s, the City of Boston gave it to the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association for community uses.
Neighborhood Context:
The old Quincy School is located on a narrow residential street in Chinatown, near New England Medical Center. A large parking lot is located across the street.
Other Sources of Information:
HBI Preservation Revolving Fund Casebook, 1981; BRA files
Entry Completed: 06/14/1999
The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) seems to be emerging from a period marked by political discord and corporate legal problems. The basement of the old Quincy School was recently renovated to house the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Association's Acorn Child Care Center and ESL classes for the next two years. Renovating the entire building is a priority of the CCBA's current leadership.Update Entry Completed: 08/12/2002
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