Fisher School - Westwood, MA - Relocated Structures on Waymarking.com

In Westwood, on High Street, around the corner from the Westwood Senior High School, is the Fisher School, a one-room schoolhouse that was originally located about a mile away.

The structure is rectangular in shape, and has an addition off the back. The peaked roof is shingled. There are two doors facing an inside porch, and there windows on either side.

The school building was built in 1845 and was located on Clapboardtree Road, near Milk Street. It was designated District 9 school of the town of Dedham. At that time, Westwood had not broken from Dedham. Later, the school would be named after Fisher, a well known local resident of the area. The building was used as a school until 1905 - Westwood had become a town after 1897. At that point, William Colburn bought the building and moved it a short distance along Milk Street to his property. The building was propped up on boulders, the side was sawed and a sliding garage door installed, and then hay was stored in the building. Though this may have appeared to have been drastic, it ended up being probably the best way to preserve the building. The Westwood Historical Society has, a picture that shows the inside of the building, which includes wallpaper, the blackboards, and a portrait of George Washington.

In 1994, the current owner of the property, Roger Pierce, transfered ownership of the building to the Westwood Historical Society for one dollar. The society then raised funds to move the structure from Milk Street-Meadowbrook Road to the present location on High Street, a distance of about one mile. In the fall of 1995, the building was placed on a platform pulled by a truck down Milk Street, then Clapboardtree Road, then Nahathan Street, and then High Street. This took a whole day to move, which caused them to stop for the day and then placed the school on the newly made concrete foundation.

The school is currently open on the 1st Sunday of the month from 2 to 4 pm. Come and see the school, the restored interior, and the portrait of George Washington, which came with the school in the move.

Original Location: N 42° 13.059 W 071° 12.141 How it was moved: Wheels / Dolly / Truck Type of move: Inside City Building Status: Public Related Website: [Web Link]

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