Hitchcock Free Academy - Brimfield MA - Former Schools on Waymarking.com

The Hitchcock Free Academy, known at first as the Brimfield Free Grammar School, was founded in 1855 by Samuel Austin Hitchcock who lived at 15 Wales Road. In 1855 forty-seven students between the ages of 13 and 17 were admitted to the Academy. They came from surrounding towns and were boarded in homes around town during the week, going home on the weekends. From the beginning they were transported by stages, but in 1907 the streetcar was in service and carried many students. In 1894 the academy bought the house at 11 Warren Road to serve as a dormitory for students who had long distances to travel. The dormitory was closed within a few years, however. In 1877 the school hit hard financial times and almost closed. The town school committee took over leadership of the school in 1914. In 1952 the town voted a regional high school be accepted and the Hitchcock Academy was no longer needed, so it became an educational, cultural and recreational center for Brimfield. In 1955 it stopped operating as a school building at age 100.

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Mission Statement
The mission of Hitchcock Academy is to enrich the lives of area residents of all ages by providing educational, recreational and cultural programming for residents from the towns of Brimfield, Holland, Wales, Sturbridge and the surrounding communities.

Hitchcock closed as a high school in 1954 when Tantasqua Regional High School opened to meet the growing needs of the community. It reopened in 1956 as a community center, and serves approximately 21,000 participants annually. While much has changed since 1855 - the core mission remains to serve community needs by enriching the lives of local residents in the arenas of education, recreation and culture.

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Address: 2 Brookfield Road Brimfield , MA Web Site: [Web Link]

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