Worcester Academy - Worcester MA
Posted by: 
nomadwillie
N 42° 15.175 W 071° 47.522
19T E 269678 N 4681632
Worcester Academy had its beginnings in 1834, but came into its own in 1869 as the academy. It is a historic district that was placed on the Register in 1980.
Waymark Code: WMHWDC
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/19/2013
Views: 2
Worcester Academy was founded in 1834 as the Worcester County Manual Training School by a group of Baptists seeking to establishe "an academy that would give the poor boy an opportunity for liberal education". In the year that it was founded a donation for $5,000 enable the trustees to purchase a 60 acre farm, where a chapel and "Mansion House" were built. In 1854 the school ran into financial problems and sold the campus to Eli Thayer, who sold it to Isaac Davis in 1869. At the time of the purchase the campus included a large brick building which several purposes, mostly medical, before Mr Davis purchase. The building was renamed Davis Hall and served as classrooms and dormitory. This building has since been demolished and replaced with by modern buildings.
The first substantial building on the Union Hill campus, specifically designed for the Academy was Walker Hall, built in 1889. Following this construction Adams Hall (1892) and Dexter Hall (1892) were built. The Kingsley Laboratories (1897) and the Mgaron (1906) completed the major period of building and represents what the campus is today. The buildings are of Victorian Institutional style.
From Worcester Academy Site
In 1846 the school officially became Worcester Academy; twenty-three years later it moved from downtown to our present location on the Union Hill campus. And in 1882, the Academy welcomed principal Dr. Daniel Webster Abercrombie, for whom the head of school’s house is named today. Dr. Abercrombie served Worcester Academy for 36 years, during which time he pioneered a progressive curriculum and built the school’s historic campus.
Over the years, Worcester Academy continued to progress: In 1974 we resumed the admission of girls after a hiatus of many decades ... 1987 saw the opening of the middle school, followed by the addition of sixth grade in 1996 ... and it was also during 1996 that the school’s buildings were connected to the Internet, signifying a remarkable boost to the educational opportunities afforded our students.
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While I was on the campus there is a major renovation effort going on to many of the buildings. Worcester Academy is a private co-ed day and boarding school for grades 6-8 (Middle School) and 9-12 and postgraduates (High School).