Weymouth Schools
Schools and education have been a part of Weymouth's history from the very beginning. Early on, small schoolhouses were generally built on donated property and either named for the property owner or the road where it was located. Later on, during the 1800's, when more and larger schools became a necessity, there was a tendency to name schools after Presidents or prominent citizens of the town. Since the Second World War, it has become popular, at least in Weymouth, to name or re-name schools after war casualties.
The first organized school committee was established in March of 1797 and the town was separated into 8 established districts. The first regularly employed Superintendent Of Schools was the Reverend Calvin Terry in 1862. He only served for 1 year and his successors also served only brief terms until 1909 when Parker T. Pearson took over and served the town's school system until 1939.
Just after the Second World War, the Town Of Weymouth, not unlike the rest of the nation saw a significant increase in population. In order to meet the demand of the Baby Boomers, between 1949 and 1960, Weymouth built 10 new schools, made additions to 2 of those new schools and built additions to 7 of the original schools. By 1960 there were signs that the population explosion was subsiding and so too would the town's school expansion program. The town had the luxury of closing some older unused schoolhouses and did away with portable schools.
Then, a second wave of the boom came, in the form of Generation Jones, that required new schools, the expansion of some schools and the creation of a second high school. In the midst of this second expansion program, the old high school, that had been converted into the East Junior High School caught fire and was a total loss in 1971. Throughout the 70's, teenagers in East Weymouth were forced to attend "double sessions" at the Central Junior, meaning some students attended in the morning and some in the afternoon.
With the onset of the 80's came an economic recession coupled with declining enrollment and the Weymouth School System was to begin a period of great change. Proposition 2 1/2 and a 4% tax cap resulted in a reduction in tax revenue for the school system and Weymouth was forced into the unpopular task of closing schools that had long served the town well, and selling the properties to developers. Despite a brief increase in enrollment, this trend would continue throughout the late 80's and into the 1990's.
The school Department also voted to change the educational format so that schools that were previously called elementary schools and served grades 1 through 6 would become primary schools and service grades K through 4. Two schools would become Middle or Intermediate Schools, handling grades 5 through 8 and both located in close proximity of each other. The newer format also created a single high school that serves grades 9 through 12, replacing the previous two high schools, North and South that each housed grades 10-12. What follows here is a list of the different schools that served the town during this time.
Weymouth High School
A school "qualified to prepare scholars for college" was first established in 1853 and was for many years actually 2 schools, a North High and South High. The students were taught in various locations in early years such as Rogers Hall and the Howe School that had been located on Torrey Street in South Weymouth. It wasn't until the late 1800's that enrollment in the schools became consistent enough to warrant building a permanent building. In 1898 a new high school building was built on Middle Street in the center of town and the combined enrollment from the North and South High Schools attended the one school. With the usual post war increase in population of the early 20's a new addition was built that doubled the size of the school in 1924.
In 1962 a new building was constructed on the other side of Legion Field off Commercial Street (now called the Chapman School). Once completed this would serve as the town's high school and soon after a second high school was created on Pleasant Street in South Weymouth. These 2 schools, once again, North and South High Schools would serve the town until 1990 when they were to be combined again at Commercial Street. In 2004 a new addition was built at the original South High on Pleasant Street and currently serves as the town's only high school. At that time, the town also voted to name the high school team mascot after the South High School teams, the Wildcats. The Weymouth North High School teams had previously been called the Maroons and their mascot was Ferdinand The Bull.
The football field at this campus is named after Army Sgt. Jeffrey E. Mullin, Vice President of the Weymouth South High School Class of 1985, who died of a heart attack while serving his country in the Gulf War in January, 1991.
Abigail Adams and John Adams Schools
The original Abigail Adams School was located on Church Street next to Weymouth's First Church in the Weymouth Heights section. It was a 2 room schoolhouse that had been erected in 1854 and renovated but still in use until 1979. A "newer" school was built in 1950 and located directly across the street. This school was named the Abigail Adams School and the original renamed the John Adams School. The John Adams served as an annex for the soon over-crowded new school and appropriately worked together as one elementary school during the 50's, 60's and 70's. In 1979 the newer school was sold and razed to make way for condominiums. The original school house still sits across the street from the church.
Abigail Adams Middle School
The present site of this school, next to the Town Hall on Middle Street in East Weymouth has much history. The building, as it is now, was built in 1975 to replace what was then the East Junior High School. That structure was destroyed by a fire in 1971. The East Junior High School, serving grades 7, 8 and 9, had occupied the building since 1962. Prior to 1962, this was the site of Weymouth's High School. The school now is considered a middle school serving grades 5 through 8.
Academy Avenue Primary School
This school located up the street from the Town Hall was built in 1955 as an elementary school and is now a primary school.
Athens Street School
The Athens Street School, located in North Weymouth between Sea Street and Bridge Street in a section of town called Thomas' Corner, was erected in 1901 and originally had 7 classrooms. The 1901 structure replaced an earlier outdated schoolhouse. In 1913, it was enlarged to 11 classrooms and remained at that size unitl it was closed. It was closed due to its size and lack of viable expansion. The school had also become outdated to present educational stabdards and a new school, the Wessugusset School was built nearby. The building was sold to a developer and is presently used as a residential condominium.
Bicknell School
The original Bicknell School was located on Commercial St. and sold to the Grand Army of the Republic in 1909, and was used as their meeting hall for many years. The later Bicknell School, located at the foot of upper Sea Street at Bicknell Square in North Weymouth, was built in 1925 and served mostly as a junior high school (grades 7 through 9). An addition was installed in 1953 then again, in 1973 that included a new gymnasium and the original outdated gymnasium was remodeled as classrooms. In 1981 it was sold to a developer and turned into a residential condominium. The school's name comes from the Bicknell Family, who were one of the earliest settlers in the town. In fact, the Bicknell Homestead located nearby on Sea Street still stands and dates to 1650.
Central Junior High School
The Central Junior, located on Broad Street in Weymouth adjacent to the Essex Street Housing Development was opened in 1955 and closed in 1981. It is a condominium residence now for elderly residents called the Allerton House. The original entrance drive to the school was renamed Schoolhouse Road.
Schoolhouse Road leads to the official Weymouth Little League Fields, Wanzer and Webb Fields, located adjacent to the housing and the Riley soccer fields are located behind and can be accessed from Essex Street. As of 2009 there are plans to renovate these athletic fields into a complex for various sports.
Chapman Middle School
Maria Weston Chapman School is located on Commercial Street in East Weymouth. This school was built in 1962 and was originally Weymouth High and then Weymouth North High School. In 1990 it again became Weymouth's only High School until 2004 when the South High on Pleasant St. was enlarged and made the new Hgih School. The school's design was controversial from the begining by not conforming to Weymouth's historic image. It was also filled to capacity immediately upon opening. The west end of the building served as the Vocational High School for many years.
Franklin School
A 4 room school house located on Broad Street in East Weymouth, this school was erected in 1877. It was used extensively up until 1915 when the newer Hunt School was erected and allowed this school's use to be scaled back until it was torn down to make way for a new firehouse in 1930.
Hamilton School
The Union Street School was built in 1973 and for years served many elementary school age children from the Naval Air Station as well as those from surrounding neighborhoods. The name was changed in 2005 to the Thomas W. Hamilton School in honor of Weymouth's earliest Medal Of Honor recipient from the Civil War. Today it serves as a primary school.
Humphrey School
The James Humphrey School, named for a long time politican and School Committee member is located on Lake Street. It was erected in 1906 and added to in 1952. It was closed in 1981 and sold. It is currently a condominium residence.
Hunt School
Now the privately owned South Shore Christian Academy, this property is across from the Tufts Library on Broad Street. The Hunt School originally the Perkins School, was erected in 1881 with 4 rooms, then re-built in 1915 with 8 rooms. In 1929 the present structure was built and soon after the 1915 building was razed. Although always considered too small and over crowded, this well located school managed to stay open until 1990 after other newer schools had already been closed. In 1915 this "new" school allowed for the outdated Tufts School to be closed. The Hunt Family for which the school was named is a familiar name in Weymouth history and gained prominance in the shoe industry.
Johnson School
The Elden H. Johnson School was completed in 1951 and added on to in 1954. It is located on North Street at the intersection with Evans Street. This school was named after another decorated World War II casualty. It initially was an elementary education (grade 1-6) school until the 1990's and today it serves as an Early Childhood Education Center which means pre-Grade 1 students.
McCulloch School
Located on Green Street in North Weymouth, this school was completed in 1959 and contained grades 1 through 6. Consideration was given to naming it the Walter S. Gagnon School until finally voted by selectman to be called the John F. McCulloch school after a local World War II casualty. He was a Marine Corps Air Pilot that died during a training flight in Florida in 1942. He is buried in the North Weymouth cemetery. The school was closed in the early 80's and today houses the Whipple Senior Center and the town's Veterans Affairs office. The building is still owned and operated by the Town Of Weymouth. It is also used as a meeting place for several town committees.
Murphy School
The Homestead School was completed in 1953 and already required an addition by 1958. It was originally named after the section of town where it is located, which is between Front Street and Summer Street south of Federal Street. It was closed for a time in 1981, then re-opened in 1987. In the 1990's the members of the American Legion George Bean Post convinced town officials to rename the school after World War II hero, Frederick C. Murphy.
Nash School
Named for Weymouth scholar, athlete and World War II hero, Thomas V. Nash, Jr., this school was built in 1958 on land adjacent to the Stetson Shoe Factory. It was closed for a period begining in 1991 but later re-opened and serves as a primary school today.
Nevin School
The Edward B. Nevin School was erected in 1917 and was added to in 1952. It was named for a well known School Committee member who had also served in the House Of Representatives and the Senate. The land was given to the town by his widow, Bessie T. (Bates) Nevin. It was located at the corner of Main Street and Columbian Street until it was closed and sold in the early 1980's. It was torn down and the Nevin Building now located on the site serves as medical offices for the South Shore Hospital.
Pratt School
In 1845 a small 2 room schoolhouse was erected to replace an earlier school that had been detroyed by fire on Pleasant Street near Pine Street in the Lovell's Corner section of South Weymouth. The money used for this construction came from a fund that had been provided to the Town Of Weymouth in 1810 by Lois Pratt. The fund was to be devoted to educational interests in this part of town. This new school was called the Globe School because of the unusual windows that were located on the gable ends of the building. When the Globe School became outdated the Pratt School, an elementary school was built in 1906. In 1950 the school was enlarged to its present size. The school was closed in the 1979 and later sold to a developer. It is currently a residential complex called the Woodridge Condominiums.
Pond School
Located on Pond Street adjacent to the Great Pond Reservoir and Town Forest this school was originally erected in 1846 as a 2 room schoolhouse. It was rebuilt in 1927, added to in 1953 and the name was later changed to the Alice Fulton School in 1964, after a long time teacher and principal in the Weymouth School System. It was closed in 1991 and leased out by the town for various purposes until 2008 when the property was sold to a developer. Directly behind the school building is the Negus baseball fields where the South Weymouth Cal Ripken League plays.
Portable School
During the 1920's there was an increase in school enrollment to the point that Weymouth had to purchase two, 2 room portable school buildings in 1931. They were used in various locations around the town as needed, the last location being the corner of Middle and Washington Streets when the Center Portable School was finally abandoned in 1958.
Pingree School
The Lawrence W. Pingree School opened in 1957 and is named for a World War II casualty born and raised in Weymouth. It is located on Commercial Street just off of Jackson Square in East Weymouth. It presently serves as a primary school.
There is a softball field and a regulation size baseball field located behind the school as well as a utility field that is used by town lacrosse and soccer teams.
Ralph Talbot School
This school, named for the town's most heralded war hero of World War I opened in 1955 and still serves as a primary school. It is located in South Weymouth on Ralph Talbot Street. There is a walkway leading from the rear of the school grounds that was constructed in the late 50's and connects to the neighborhoods off of Union Street near Constitution Avenue.
In 2006 a section of the school property was converted into 2 soccer fields that are utilized by Weymouth School and Club teams. It was acquired as part of a land swap with the developers of the Weathervane Assisted Living site located off Liberty Street in South Weymouth, MA.
Seach School
Originally called the Center School, this school was completed in 1959, allowing the portable schools to be closed. It was renamed in 1960 after Lt. William Seach, a military hero of the United Sates involvement in China. The Seach School is located off Middle Streetjust south of Washington Street(Route 53). It housed grades 1 through 6 until the 1990's when the school department changed the educational format. It currently serves grades K-4.
South Junior High School
The South Junior was located at the corner of Park Avenue and Pleasant Street and served grades 7, 8 and 9 from 1951 until it closed in 1991 when the high schools were once again combined at the Commercial Street Campus. The former South High School located directly in back of South Jr. served as the new middle school for a time until South Jr. was razed and the properties combined to form what is now the high school campus and athletic fields.
Wessugusset School
Completed in 1973, along with the Union Street School across town this school is named after the neighborhood where it is located in North Weymouth. Its construction allowed for closure of the outdated and long over-used Athens Street School.