Historical Commission's Monthly Tales of Our Town

Central School: A Testament to Civic Pride and Investment in the Future

December’s story concerns the Central School (now known as the 1910 Building, or the Town Offices). West Newbury’s decision in 1909 to build a new Central School—the most consequential municipal building since Town Hall’s construction in 1842—was a testament to civic pride and investment in the future. It was also, like many school building projects, a reluctant acknowledgement that deplorable existing conditions made action unavoidable. Inevitably, intervening events made the building an imperfect solution to the Town’s educational needs, though always a commanding structure adaptable to new purposes.

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