Former school could be added to National Register of Historic Places
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Southborough - It used to be the Old South Union School, and now it's the town's Arts Center and also houses the recreation department. Through it all, however, the building at 21 Highland St. has also been something else - historic.

And because it has, the town's Historical Commission would like to see it placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which would qualify it for state grant funds.

As elegant a structure as the building is, the 1912 structure is more significant for what happened inside it.

"That building is like a lot of buildings built at that time," Southborough Historical Commission member Kate Matison said. "It was a multi-use facility. It was used to teach the children of the town during the day and the immigrant population at night."

The building sits between town villages Cordaville and Southville.

To qualify for the National Register, a building or area must have had a significant historic importance in architecture, engineering or the culture of the community state or nation. It can also earn the designation by being associated with historic events or activities, or have a distinct physical design.

Should the building be added to the National Register of Historic Places, it would likely receive an exterior upgrade. Being added to the register could take up to two years.

Southborough has investigated the potential of getting the building placed on the National Register, hiring a consultant to look at the building to determine if it is worthy of a nomination for the registry, which has a national designation but allows states to make additions to it.

The Historical Commission applied to the Community Preservation Commission to use a portion of the available Community Preservation Act funds to hire a preservation consultant to research and write the nomination application.

If the building is added to the National Register, Southborough could apply for matching funds from the state's Historical Commission for maintenance of the building.