The History of Our Schools: Waterville School

Waterville Schoolhouse, Plymouth Street, Middleborough, MA,

photograph early 20th century. 

The 1877 schoolhouse pictured above was constructed on the site of the

original Waterville school which occupied the quarter acre of land at the

junction of Plymouth and Carmel Streets acquired in 1854 by Middleborough

School District No. 2 from William S. Eddy.  Following its closure in 1944 and

sale in 1946, the school was turned 90-degrees to face Carmel Street and was

converted to residential use. 

During the 1930s, a series of short informal histories of the various Middleborough school houses were compiled by J. Stearns Cushing, Superintendent of Middleborough Schools from 1927 until 1955.  Mr. Cushing prepared these histories for publication as a series in the Middleboro Gazette beginning on February 24, 1933.  With information culled largely from town reports, the series entitled "The History of Our Schools" sought to provide the community with a better understanding of the past history of its public school buildings. Today's offering features the Waterville Schoolhouse at the corner of Plymouth and Carmel Streets in the Waterville section of East Middleborough.

Waterville

The School Committee in 1877 consisted of S. Chapin, J. F. Shurtleff, and W. H. Southworth.  In their report of that year they state, "The house for School No. 2, Waterville we think needs to be repaired by 'substituion'; that is, the old house should be removed and a new one substituted for it.  The old house if repaired will need new shingles, plastering, floor, doors, windows and window frames, and when that is done it will leave a schoolroom only seven and two-thirds feet high, (or rather low) having been built at different times, and not well adapted for school purposes.  We commend this subject to the immediate attention of the town, as the present house must be repaired or a new one erected before another Winter."

At the annual town meeting a committee was chosen to examine school house No. 2 and report at the adjournment in April.  This committee reported in favor of repairing the old house, and were instructed to expend for that purpose a sum not exceeding three hundred and fifty dollars.  After commencing the work it was the opinion of the committee that the house would prove inadequate to the wants of the school, and a town meeting was called, at which the action of the former meeting was rescinded and the school committee was instructed to erect a new house.  The materials already bought by the repair committee were turned over to the School Committee as shown by the cost of construction report.

Amount appropriated, $1,200.00
Paid Jas. P. Sparrow [builder], as per contract $800.00
For desks and furniture 102.90
For freight and carting furniture 4.36
J. Chandler, underpinning 12.65
G. H. Doane, stove and pipe 10.18
C. C. Tinkham, moving old house 14.00
L. W. Savery, grading 16.78
7M shingles rec'd from repairing committee 31.50
Total $992.31

Jas. P. Sparrow, was also paid for shingling outbuildings and removing old furniture to the village, $12.80.
Received of J. P. Sparrow, for doors and windows purchased by repairing committee, $10.10.

Four years later we find the following comment, "This district is much better provided for than No. 1 (Soule).  The house, having forty sittings, was quite recently built at an expense of about $800.00, upon a spacious lot, which within the present year has been better graded, at an expense of $20.  he members of the district have manifested a commendable pride in their new building and have spared no pains to make it pleasant inside as well as out.  They have furnished an expensive clock, good curtains, many wall ornaments, and quite recently, a new settee.  With such good care and special attention, there is now wanting nothing inside or outside to make this one of the pleasantest schoolhouses in town."

Among the names of teachers who served in this school we find many who have or are serving in the Central schools.  he list of those who have taught in the present building are:

1877
Mary F. Hagan

1878
Mary F. Hagan
Abbie A. Gurney

1879
Abbie A. Gurney
Emma F. Darling

1880
Emma F. Darling
Harriet F. Hart

1881
E. Abbie Ward

1882
E. Abbie Ward

1883
E. Abbie Ward
Lillie H. Thornton

1884
Mary H. Blackman
Cora P. Lobdell

1885
Cora P. Lobdell
Elizabeth Ahern
Harriett Bartlett

1886
Harriett Bartlett
Mary B. Richards
Lucia F. Keith

1887
Lucia F. Keith
Lillie H. Thornton

1888
Lillie H.Thornton
Carrie E. Alden

1889
Carrie E. Alden
Lizzie H. Drew

1890
Lizzie H. Drew

1891
Lizzie H. Drew
Fannie C. Stetson

1892
Fannie C. Stetson
Eleanor A. Barden

1893
Eleanor A. Barden
Florence L. Jefferson

1894
Florence L. Jefferson
Lydia E. Holmes
A. Belle Tenney

1895
A. Belle Tenney
Carolyn H. Parker

1896
Carolyn H. Parker

1897
Delia R. Kingman
Mattie M. Bennett

1898
Mattie M. Bennett

1899
Mattie M. Bennett
C. Florence Hathaway

1900
C. Florence Hathaway

1901
Lizzie Wade
A. Delle Alden

1902
Millie F. Caswell
Bessie B. Bailey

1903
Bessie B. Bailey

1904
Bessie B. Bailey

1905
Bessie B. Bailey

1906
Christina Pratt

1907
Christina Pratt

1908
Belle Prescott
Clara B. Cushing
Mary E. King

1909
Clara B. Cushing
Elsie Landgrebe

1910
Erna L. Cornish

1911
Marion F. Dunham
Alta E. Battles

1912
Maude DeMaranville

1913
Maude DeMaranville

1914
Maude DeMaranville

1915
Maude DeMaranville
Abby S. Westgate

1916
Abby S. Westgate

1917
Abby S. Westgate

1918
Abby S. Westgate
G. A. Murphy

1919
G. A. Murphy

1920
Gertrude L. Robbins

1921 Elena Manley

1922
Elena Manley

1923
Elena Manley

1924
Elena Manley

1925
Bernice C. Shaw

1926
Bernice C. Shaw

1927
Bernice C. Shaw

1928
Bernice C. Shaw

1929
Bernice C. Shaw

1930
Bernice C. Shaw

1931
Bernice C. Shaw

1932
Bernice C. Shaw
Helen K. Fagan

This school at the present time [1933] houses only the fifth and sixth grade pupils of the East Middleboro section of the town and has an enrollment of about twenty pupils.  The building is however located upon a dangerous corner with present day traffic and as soon as possible the playground should be fenced for the safety of the pupils there.

The corner mentioned in the above history by Mr. Cushing was the corner of Carmel and Plymouth Streets which then together comprised part of Route 44 between Middleborough and Plymouth which passed along Plympton Street to Eddyville, south on Carmel Street to Waterville, thence eastwards along Plymouth Street to North Carver.  Given the increasing volume of auto traffic which used the route, Cushing's concerns were justified.

The Waterville School remained in use for educational purposes through the May, 1944, and was during that period also used for a number of other purposes including mid-week services by the First Congregational Church which also made similar use of the Soule School on Winter Street.

"Owing to the small number enrolled in the Waterville School that building was not opened in September [1944]."  By vote of the town meeting the Middleborough Board of Selectmen was empowered to sell the Waterville School property, doing so on June 10, 1946, when the schoolhouse and lot were purchased b Dean B. and Barbara E. Jennings and converted into a residence.  The Waterville Schoolhouse may still be seen in its original location.

The roll of teachers following the period covered by Cushing's history is as follows:

1933
Helen K. Fagan

1934
Leah M. Boutin

1935
Elsie LeBlanc

1936
Elsie LeBlanc

1937
Elsie LeBlanc

1938
Bernice C. Shaw

1939
Bernice C. Shaw

1940
Elsie LeBlanc

1941
Elsie LeBlanc

1942
Elsie LeBlanc

1943
Elsie LeBlanc

1944
Elsie LeBlanc

Sources:
Cushing, J. Stearns. "The History of Our Schools: Forest Street School". Photostatic copy of original manuscript, 1932-33. Author's collection.
Middleborough Town Reports, 1932-44
Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, Book 1920, Page 424.