Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

Hamilton School, February 25, 1902

Description

"The Hamilton School, built in 1884, was located at the southeasterly corner of Albion and Lake Street. On March 12, 1883, the Town of Wakefield voted at Town Meeting to appoint a committee to research the 'purchase of land and the erection of a school house.' Members of the committee included Lucius Beebe, chairman William N. Tyler, Secretary Thomas Winship Samuel K. Hamilton E.E. Emerson and A.W. Brownell. The Committee reported back to Town Meeting on May 7, 1883, with a recommendation to purchase a 14,566 foot parcel of land from Lucius Beebe at a cost of $1820.75, and to build a four room school house at an approximate cost of $8000. By May 14, 1883, the committee had met with five architects and 13 builders. It was recommended that the town utilze the services of architect R. Pote Wait, Esq., and builders David Perkins and Dennis Greaney. It was also reported that the cost of the project would be approximately $15,000. The Town Meeting also voted to name the school after Samuel K. Hamilton, Town Moderator and Chairman of the School Committee. The Hamilton School opened in April 1884, and housed 200 students from the overcrowded West Ward, Franklin and Center Schools. The students who attended lived in the 'vicinity and west of the Junction,' and 'west of the railroad and south of West Chestnut Street.' When school opened in the Fall with children from another added to the rolls, the Hamilton School was noted as having 'excellent accomodations for four schools and 200 scholars and is arranged and adapted to the needs of that neighborhood in an admirable manner, and is in itself, an ornament and credit to the Town.' The Hamilton School was closed in the 1930's due to declining enrollment." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1993

Photo courtesy of the Edith Coflan.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Date

02-25-1902

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

[Wakefield, Mass.] : Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Schools

Elementary school students

Hamilton School (Wakefield, Mass.)

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

1 picture : b&w

Extent

12 x 24 cm.