Contents:

• President's Address
• Report of the Treasurer
• Report of the Nominating Committee
• Some Extracts From Muddy River Records Of The Town, With Special Reference To The Middle And Heath Schools
• Officers and Committees
• List of Members
• By-Laws

The eleventh annual meeting of the Brookline Historical Society was held in the Edward Devotion House, Brookline, Mass., on Wednesday, January 17, 1912, at 8 p.m., in accordance with a notice mailed to every member. President Charles H. Stearns was in the chair.

The record of the last monthly meeting was read and the President then delivered his annual address.



Members of the Brookline Historical Society and Friends: -

In presenting my third annual report, I desire to congratulate ourselves that we have now come into our own, and that the Edward Devotion House, for at least the next two years, will be in the possession of our Society; the vote of the town giving the Selectmen authority to transfer the building from the Edward Devotion House Association to the Brookline Historical Society on the same terms, passed at the town meeting held December 29, 1911, was promptly ratified by the Selectmen, and notice of the same has been sent to me, as President. While this may be a subject of rejoicing, it also means renewed and increased responsibility on the part of our members to continue the good work done by the Edward Devotion House Association, to whom we should be most grateful for putting the building in order, and caring for it, for the past three years.

On the first of January, 1911, the Society's membership was 165. Of these 4 were benefactors, 19 were life members, 142 were annual members and one was a corresponding member. On January 1, 1912, the total membership was 203; benefactors, 4; life members, 22; annual members 176 and 1 corresponding member, a gain of 38. Two members have died during the past year, and one who died in 1908 has not before been mentioned. This was Benjamin F. Adams, who was of the firm of Adams & Armstrong, grocers on Beacon street, near Coolidge Corner. He resided in Belmont, and though interested in Brookline affairs, did not attend any of our meetings.

Col. Albert A. Clarke died July 16 at his summer home in Highgate, Vermont. Colonel Clarke was a recent comer to Brookline, and had not taken any part in our Society. He was well known from his connection with the Home Market Club of Boston, having served for many years as its secretary.

Oscar B. Mowry, who died August 19, was one of our best known residents. He was a lawyer and a trustee of many estates. He was also chairman of the Water Board for many years and a good citizen.

The death of Levi L. Willcutt is also mentioned, although it did not occur until January 3 of the present year. Mr. Willcutt moved to Brookline in 1887, having previously resided in West Roxbury. He was formerly greatly interested in the affairs of the city of Boston, having served in the common council and he was also for two years in the Massachusetts legislature. He had for many years been a member and one of the directors of the Bostonian Society, and greatly interested in its success. He was in his eighty-sixth year. He was a most kindly man, and interested in the welfare of our town.

During the years 1910-11, the Society has held eight regular meetings, of which that of May 24, 1911, was in the Grand Army Room of the Town Hall, all others being held in the Edward Devotion House. The average attendance was considerably more than for the past two or three years.

The following is a summary of these meetings: -

January 18. Annual meeting and choice of officers. The President in his report gave a description of the more modern occupation of the Devotion farm by George Babcock.

February 22. "Washington's visits to Boston," by Mr. Charles F. Read. The first, in 1756 when Washington was a civil engineer; the second, when he took command of the army in 1775; and the third 1789 during his first term of office as president.

March 15. "How time was kept when we lived under a King." by Mr. John Albree of Swampscott.

April 19. "Four mounted messengers of the Revolution," by Vice-President, William O. Comstock.

May 24. "Personal reminiscences of the Civil War," by Major Horace P. Williams of Roxbury. Major Williams went to the war as captain of Co. K, Twenty-Second Regiment, Mass. Volunteers. This was one of the so-called Wilson Regiments, largely recruited under the auspices of Hon. Henry Wilson, then U. S. Senator from this state.

October 18. "John Trumbull, the painter of the Revolution," by Mr. Samuel Abbott of Newton. The two pictures which have made Trumbull famous are, the battle of Bunker Hill and death of Warren, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Abbott's description and history of the man was very interesting.

November 16. "The German Element in America in the Revolutionary War," by Rev. J. F. Meyer of South Natick.

December 20. "Pilgrim and Puritan; his place in colonial history," by Mrs. Marian Longfellow O'Donoghue of Brookline. Mrs. O'Donoghue, who is a niece of the poet Longfellow, took for her representative of the Pilgrims, John Alden, and of the Puritans, John Winthrop. The paper was most ably written and interestingly delivered.

Our publications are more and more in demand. I was only a few days ago in receipt of a letter from the librarian of Yale University asking for a set of them.

The growth of our town continues, particularly in apartment houses. It seems as if this business would some day be overdone. It is gratifying to note the erection of a large business building in Brookline lower village, and it is rumored that more will soon be built. That important entrance to our town has too long been a disgrace, and let us hope that, now a beginning has been made there, the situation will ere long be improved.

In my annual address of last year I gave some description of the Devotion House during its occupancy by Mr. Babcock. I shall have tonight a few words to say of the piece of land lying to the north of the Babcock place, and what is a continuation and ending of the Babcock hill. The passerby of today, going towards Allston, after crossing Thorndike street, will see a rather melancholy deserted house, looking as if it were about to slide down the gravel bank towards Harvard street. The gravel has been carted away from all sides of the house, the driveway has been cut down, the house and stable are dilapidated and going to decay: but sixty years ago this was one of the prettiest places in this part of our town, and was the home of wealth and happiness. The grounds were well wooded, they gradually sloped to the north, the west, and south, and with a fine view of the adjacent farms, and beyond to Charles River and Cambridge. The house was in a most commanding situation.

This land, a part of which is in Boston,- then Brighton,- was formerly owned by Mr. D. S. Coolidge, who lived directly opposite, and whose son and daughter still live on the old place, and it was a part of the Coolidge farm.

In riding in the elevated train from Dudley street to the city one passes about midway between the Cathedral and Dover street three or four old-fashioned, three-storied, flat-roofed houses with the ends to Washington street and the entrances on the side. In one of these, in 1845, lived Mr. Holmes Hinckley, the senior partner of the Hinckley & Drury, afterwards the Hinckley & Williams Locomotive Works. This establishment was on Albany street, directly behind the house, and extending through to Harrison avenue, and this land is now owned and occupied by the Boston Elevated R. R. Co. as a power-house and for other purposes. At that time the business of locomotive building was very prosperous, and one of the occasional sights in the city was the transportation of one of the locomotive engines, built here, across the city to one of the railroad stations. The power used in hauling these engines was sixteen or eighteen horses, in a string team, and guided by three or more drivers placed at intervals of the team. Imagine such a team today threading its way through the crowded streets of Boston.

My father knew Mr. Hinckley well, and I remember as a small boy going with him to call there. A pretty garden was directly behind the house and there was a path which led across to the works. Mr. Hinckley had a growing family and was anxious to move into the country, and my father recommended this land on Harvard street as a good site for a home, and Mr. Hinckley bought the land and built a fine house and out-buildings. There are nine and a half acres in Brookline, and perhaps a couple of acres across the line in Brighton. I well remember the house-warming given by Mr. Hinckley and his fine family. One of the daughters married Cyrus Alger, who during the Civil War cast cannon for the government at their factory in South Boston, at the further end of Dover street bridge. Another married George Hill, a son of the man who built and lived in the house on Kennard road now occupied by Mr. Ogden. She is still living, a widow, in Wellesley. With the new, handsome house, and the family of lively and pretty daughters, it was a pleasant place for the young people of the town to visit, and I can recall many evenings spent at their home. It was rather isolated. The only way of transportation to Boston was by rail from the Allston station, at that time called Cambridge crossing, and Mr. Hinckley kept a number of horses and carriages. As I have said, when Mr. Hinckley first came to Brookline, his business was very lucrative, but soon after 1850 other and larger establishments started in various parts of the country, such as the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, and with their improved facilities and the gradual demands for larger and more powerful engines, he could not compete with his rivals, and soon after he failed in business. I think he died in this house about 1854 or 1855, though I cannot positively say, but his family moved away about that time. In 1857 Mr. Shadrach Robinson, a wholesale dealer in flour, bought the place and lived there until 1866. I did not know his family, but often saw him riding by in his carriage to Boston. In 1867 Mr. Alanson W. Beard bought the place. He was a Boston merchant and later a politician, and while living here, was, I think, the collector of the port of Boston. Mr. Beard moved away in 1872, and Mrs. Mary L. Murray came into possession. She was a widow with several sons, but I did not know them. She lived there until 1876, when the Ayer family of Lowell, who held a large mortgage on the property, took possession under foreclosure. Since that date the house has had a checkered career. For a number of years it was let for a tavern or road house, and several times the proprietors were indicted for keeping a nuisance. After the town had voted no license there were numerous raids and seizures of liquors, and finally this business was given up. Stories were told of the proprietors getting an inkling of a raid, and the stuff would be carried across the town line, until the officers had gone. Then the place was rented to different parties, but for a number of years the house has been boarded up and the place deserted. From the piazzas, which are on three sides of the house, one may look down on the houses built on the Babcock and Coolidge farms and on the north and west on the rows of apartment houses on Commonwealth avenue, but the immediate surroundings suggest anything but growth. There is a pretty back entrance to the place, a driveway shaded with elms, which Mr. Hinckley set out. This is on level ground and has not been disturbed by gravel buyers. It is fortunate that the present owners are wealthy, for the interest and taxes during the thirty-five years of their ownership must have greatly exceeded the present valuation, large as it is. It is interesting to note the changes in the assessors' valuations since the house was built. The first year that Mr. Hinckley built, the place was assessed at $30,000. During Mr. Robinson's ownership it varied from $18,000 to $25,000. In Mr. Beard's time, from $20,000 to $27,000, while during Mrs. Murray's occupancy it rose to $60,000, and since the Ayers have owned it the valuation has increased from $40,000 to $150,000. It now seems a veritable castle in the air, perched up above the surrounding territory and with no direct means of approach. But even today anyone viewing the house at close range must see what a fine, well-built mansion it formerly was. It is indeed pitiable to see its gradual decay. It would be impossible for the recent dweller in Brookline for five, ten, or even twenty-five years, to imagine the appearance of things here sixty or sixty-five years ago. Harvard street was a narrow, crooked road, only lately arrived at the dignity of a street, and known among the older people as the "Cambridge road." The only houses on it between School street and the Brighton line were seven or eight farmhouses, - good, commodious dwellings, but devoid of any attempt at beauty; and attached were numerous outbuildings in a more or less untidy condition, with pigpens and manure piles, suggestive of anything but cleanliness or order. And the occupants themselves, good, sterling people, but the men with their woolen frocks and cowhide boots, with trousers tucked in in winter, and overalls and shirt sleeves in summer, and the women hardly to be seen except on Sundays, did not satisfy the eye or the taste of one inclined to be esthetic or fastidious. And to have a business man from the city come out and build a stately, beautiful house, to surround it with a garden and trees and lawn, and to bring to it his large family, with their culture and refinement, was indeed a godsend to the neighborhood. It really was the only house with any pretensions to beauty in this part of the town, and it and the family were gladly welcomed. And to contrast this condition with the present is indeed far from pleasant. Let us hope that the present owners may soon see that it is for their advantage to take some steps to improve their property.

Miss Woods, in her history of Brookline, makes mention of a small house which once stood on this land, owned by one Amos Gates, but as she could not verify this, she calls it a tradition. But in searching the records, I find that in 1709, at the annual town meeting, Amos Gates and Edward Devotion were chosen fence viewers; showing that he as well as his neighbor, Edward Devotion, was willing to assume his share of duty to the town. Also on July 14, 1724, occurs the following: "Brooklyn July 14th, 1724. Received of Mr. Gates constable for Brooklin ye sum of eighty pound in ful of my Psallery from ye Town anno. One thousand seven hundred and twenty three. James Allin

the foregoing record is truly compared with ye original by me Edward White T. Clerk."

James Allin was the first minister of the town, chosen at a meeting held December 10, 1716.

This house of Amos Gates must have been destroyed very many years ago, as I have never heard it mentioned by my father or grandfather. It may have stood on the northerly portion of the Devotion estate.

I would again remind the Society of the increased responsibilities imposed upon it by the acquisition of the Devotion House, and I would suggest that the committee on rooms should have immediate charge of it. I trust that the coming year may be a profitable one for us.









No mention of any provision for a school in Muddy River hamlet is made in the Boston records until March 8, 1686, when we find the following:
On December 8, 1686, the following record appears:

These conditions were readily accepted, for at a full meeting of the inhabitants of Muddy River, 19th of January following, the following vote was passed:

Evidently the good people of Muddy River hamlet thought that they were then independent of Boston, but it is quite clear that Boston was not willing that the hamlet should be separated from it, for on March 16, 16 89/90, it was "Voted, that Muddy River Inhabitants are not discharged from Bostone to be a hamlet by themselves, but stand related to Bostone as they were before the yeare 1686."

The agitation for a separation of Muddy River hamlet from the Town of Boston was continued; in 1700, we find the following record:

"Upon the petition of the Inhabitants of muddiriver To be a District or Hamlet separate from the Town for these reasons following, namely, the remoteness of their situtation wch renders them uncapable of Injoying Equal Benefit & advantage wth other of the Inhabitants of Publick Schools for the Instruction of their Children, Relief of their poor & repairing of their highways."

"Their petition being read & the reasons given therein Debated It was voted in the negative, & that tho they had not for some years been rated in the Town rate yet for the time to come the selectmen should rate them in the Town Tax as the other Inhabitants & as formerly they used to be. And for their Incouragement. It was voted that the Selectmen should provide a schoolmaster for them, To teach their children to read, write & cypher & order his pay out of the Town Treasury."

At last, on the 13th of November, 1705, the prayer of the petitioners was granted, and Muddy River hamlet became a town under the name of Brookline.

The principal school of the town was located on what is now known as Church Green at the intersection of Walnut and Warren streets. Near there was also located the church and in the early records of the town appear from year to year the various sums to be levied upon the inhabitants for the maintenance of the schools and for repairing the schoolhouses.

As early as March 5,1711, it was voted, "That there be Liberty Granted to Erect two School houses at there own Charge that improve them. Also that they maintain a good school dame half of the year at each house. That the Town allow the charge for a Master one qr. at one School house and the other quarter at the other. To teach, to write and Cypher."

This second school house was undoubtedly the small one story building which stood on the lane which is now known as School street.

It would be interesting to compare the early records of the town with those of the past year; for instance, in the year 1711 appears the following record:

In March, 1714, money was raised for keeping school in three parts of the town.

Nine years later it appears to have been necessary to establish districts or precincts, and the following votes were passed at the town meeting held March 4, 1723:
This southerly precinct took in all the territory bordering on Newton and Clyde streets and part of Warren street.
It is quite clear from the records that there were many different opinions on the question of how many schools should be maintained, and the town exercised its right of changing its mind in this respect from year to year as appears from many records on this particular phase of school management. There has been considerable difference of opinion on this same subject in the present year of our Lord, 180 years after the period of which we are speaking.

On May 2, 1727, it was "Voted whether the Town would build another school in the senter of the Town it passed to the neg"
It was finally decided to have two schools, and a committee was appointed to measure the town and to "steke the places where the school houses were to be set." This committee promptly reported as follows:
No definite or final action was taken on this report, as on the 27th of June of the same year, "the Town Reconsidered the vote that was pased upon may sixteenth about the school houses" and
This same question of how many schools to keep was evidently a very important one, and was not settled in any great haste. On April 8, 1728, the following votes were passed:
By the 20th of May at least a part of the question was settled for it was then voted:
Again we find that our predecessors had difficulties of much the same kind as we ourselves, for on November 25 of this same year those who were dissatisfied with the action of the town on the 20th of May, had succeeded in influencing a sufficient number of voters to change their minds, and at the meeting held on this day, it was voted:
Something prevented the erection of both these schoolhouses, however, for on the 20th of May, 1729, it was
Three years later it appears that the question was again before the town, and on May 22, 1732, it was
For the next ten years little appears in the records beyond the appropriations made from year to year, but the question of schoolhouses still agitated the town, and on May 18, 1742, it was
Again in 1745, at the meeting held December 17, was the following:
This building appears to have been erected, for at a meeting on May 16, 1746, it was
This was the building which stood on Warren street, between Heath and Clyde streets, which was afterwards moved to the southerly side of Heath street, and which was again moved in 1854 farther up Heath street to the land of the late Sullivan Warren where it is still standing.

Some citizens must have been very much dissatisfied with the location of the building, just as we find some citizens today who think that better judgment might have been used in locating some of the present schoolhouses. These parties, however, it would seem, had good and valid objections, for at this same town meeting, it was
These persons were residents of the southerly part of the town, and there must have been a sufficient number of pupils in that section of the town to require some provision for schooling as at the March meeting, 1760, it was
Some interesting questions were decided at the meeting held in July, 1767, as appears by the following votes:
At last the residents in the south part of the town succeeded in convincing their fellow-citizens that they should have a schoolhouse in their neighborhood, and on the 14th of March, 1768, it was
This was the beginning of the present Newton Street School, although the building erected at this time was not of the same "bigness" as the schoolhouse in the Middle District, one being 31 feet 6 inches by 16 feet 6 inches, while the other was only 25 feet by 16 feet. The principal school in the center of the town by this time needed considerable repair, and the question of removing it from its original site was also receiving attention. In March, 1771, it was
And on the report of the Selectmen made at a meeting held June 13 of the same year it was
Although the town was doing what seemed a good deal in those days, the schools suffered from over attendance much the same as in later years, and in 1781 the following vote was passed:
In December, 1790, the town
A later vote at the same meeting provided that "Major Moses White, mr. Caleb Gardner and mr. Isaac S. Gardner were chosen a committee to provide a Spot, and Build a School House thereon in the upper part of the Town"

In January, 1793, the following votes were passed:
Notwithstanding the many votes passed both to repair and not to repair the old schoolhouse in the middle of the town, it appears that there were still a large number of citizens who wished to keep the schoolhouse on or near that spot, and on March 4, 1793, the following votes were passed:
This was the brick schoolhouse so often mentioned in the records of later years.

A more general use of the school buildings was made in those days than in the present. Town meetings were generally held in this new brick schoolhouse, and in 1805, at the March meeting, it was
In 1812 and 1813 committees were appointed to confer with Richard Sullivan, Esquire, respecting the removal of the brick schoolhouse and leveling the ground west of the same, and in October of the year 1813, "a committee was appointed with full powers to agree in behalf of the Town with Mr. Sullivan that the triangular piece of land belonging to the Town lying between the roads and bounded easterly by land of said Sullivan shall lay common for publick accomodation and that no building shall be erected thereon hereafter so long as the meeting house shall stand on the place where it is now erected- Reserving the right of continuing the present school House thereon as it now stands as long as the Town shall see fit upon the condition that he pays the sum of Two hundred dollars when the Town shall remove the school house and Purchase of the Town a Pew in the meetinghouse at the original appraisement, he to have his choice of the Pews unsold"

The question of removing the brick schoolhouse and repairing it, as well as the question of erecting a new house, was considered at different times, and a decision was reached in May, 1824, when it was voted:
In November "the Selectmen were authorized to dispose of the Brick School house at Auction when they think proper," and accordingly they "appointed on the next Friday at 2 O'Clock P M at which time the building was sold with a few useless Logs &c for about One hundred & forty eight dollars."

This new building was the old Town Hall with a hall for meeting purposes in the upper story, and a schoolroom in the basement story, which it was provided in the vote authorizing its erection, should be entirely above ground.

In 1833, $800.00 was appropriated for the purpose of erecting a schoolhouse "in the North District near the situation of the present building, to be not less than twenty-five by thirty feet, and two stories in height and filled with all necessary seats and finished in a workmanlike manner, Provided that a sufficient sum be raized by subscription to finish the same, should the above sum be insufficient, the present House to be used so far as may be useful." This was the building which stood at the corner of School and Prospect streets.

A report made by a committee for the distribution of funds for the school districts at a meeting held in November, 1834, is somewhat interesting as showing the attendance of pupils at school, and showing the wages paid the teachers; the report is as follows:
"That they find by the examination of the schools the 25th March 1834 - The School in the South District under the care of Mr. Converse has 13 scholars, present 17 on the list. School in the middle district under care of Moses Burbank 35 were present, 50 on the list. First North District under the care of Leonard Spaulding 41 were present 63 on the list. also one school under the care of Hannah Perry & Lucy Davis 49 were present 53 on the list, whole number 183. - Your committee recommend to the Town to dispense with a Male and employ a Female Teacher in the south district. Forty eight weeks at $2.50 - 120 dollars and they further recommend the Town to Support two schools in the first North district throughout the year, one female teacher 48 weeks @ $2.50 pr week 120. also one other female teacher 32 Weeks @ $2.50 pr week 80$. the school to commence the first of april keep to the first of December, grant to the Second North District 100 dollars a year during the Towns pleasure, that the Forty six dollars saved to the Town by the alteration in the South District should go to pay a female teacher in first North district the ensuing winter."

At the March meeting in 1838 the Trustees of the School Fund resigned their positions "in consideration of their advanced age, all of them having arrived over three score years & ten and some of them nearer four score years." They also took this opportunity to report to the town the present state of the school fund, which amounted to $4,501.74, which was all satisfactorily invested.

In 1839 the town voted, "That a committee consisting of Deacon Elijah Corey, Daniel Sanderson and Thomas Tilden do examine the state of the Middle and South School Houses and report at the next Town Meeting the probable expense of repairing the same."

At an adjournment of this meeting, the committee appointed begged leave to report: "That after several meetings and deliberating together, we have finally agreed to recommend as follows; that the Putterham School House (so called) have the back and end carried back eight feet and that the sides and roof be made to correspond with the others and all new seats such as we have seen at Dorchester. Expense estimated by Mr. Elijah Stone $125.00."

The committee again reported that:
At this same meeting, in 1839, it was also voted, "That a Committee of three men be appointed, with authority to repair the middle district school house where it now stands, or to remove the same, or build a new one at their discretion on such a lot as Thomas H. Perkins and others will provide to the satisfaction of the Committee in exchange for the old lot, provided said Perkins and others will pay the Town six hundred (600) dollars for exchanging lots, and that Daniel Sanderson Thomas Tilden and Samuel Philbrick be that Committee.

At the town meeting held March 16, 1840: "The Committee appointed under the preceding vote, now ask leave to report; That after repeated conferences and corresponding with the parties interested in having the old school removed, causing a delay of several months, an exchange of lots was finally effected on the conditions above named, and a title for the new lot was obtained for the Town from Benjamin White and Warren White and delivered to the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen to be placed on the county records."
Then follows an itemized account of the cost of repairs: "making a total expenditure of $859.07 which has been received as follows:
The lot secured from the Messrs. White by this exchange was on the southerly side of Heath street, directly across from where the new building was afterwards erected. The building as altered and repaired was a small affair measuring 28 feet by 22 feet, with an ell 13 feet square. It was occupied for school purposes until the erection of the new building in 1853, when it was sold and moved to land owned by the late J. Sullivan Warren farther up Heath street on the same side, where it still stands. There were then at this time three district schools, namely, the South-Western, taught through the year by Miss Augusta Draper; the Southern, by Miss Emily Reed; and the Northern, by Miss Catherine Stearns, a teacher of large experience and rare qualifications.

The South-Western School mentioned here is still occupied for school purposes, and is known as the Newton Street School. The Southern School House mentioned is the one which preceded the recently demolished Heath School House, of which we have just been speaking, while the Northern was a little building with two rooms which was situated on School street, just east of where Prospect street now is, and was the building which I attended as a primary school pupil.

About this time the town began to grow quite rapidly; the lack of school accommodations was very noticeable and was the subject of much discussion by the School Committee in their annual reports.

At the North School House on School street, the number of pupils had outgrown the accommodations of the building, and many of the pupils were too old to attend the primary school with the smaller children, and were not sufficiently advanced to attend the high school.

To meet the needs of this district an intermediate school had been opened in two rooms in the lower part of the new Town Hall. It had become necessary also to open a third room for the accommodation of many who were too old to attend the primary school, and who were not sufficiently advanced in their studies to attend the intermediate school.

I may say in passing that this was the beginning of what afterwards became the Pearl Place School, later the Ward School, and is today known as the Lincoln School, with the Sewall, Parsons, Winthrop and Boylston as feeders.

This school was first accommodated in a very small room in the Town Hall. It was afterwards moved to what was known as Washington Hall, which was over the grocery store kept by Mr. Seamans on the site where his present building stands. Later it was moved to the second story of a carriage shop on Brookline avenue, near the corner of Washington street, and in 1854 it was moved to the new building on Brookline avenue, at the corner of Pearl place.

That some of the school buildings of the town were in poor condition is very evident from the School Committee's report of the school in the middle district which they say "in its present condition is quite unworthy of the Town, dingy, dirty, ill-placed, ill-constructed, and ill-kept, not a fit place for the training of youthful minds in sound learning, good morals, and good manners." This was the same building which was repaired so thoroughly in 1840.

The great deficiency of accommodations for the pupils in the different schools was urged by the Committee. In accordance with their suggestion the town investigated the matter and reported as follows: "The present condition of the schoolhouses in Brookline is, then, briefly as follows;
At the adjourned annual meeting of March 24, 1851, a committee was appointed to take into consideration that part of the report of the School Committee which pertains to the subject of schoolhouses, and to make report thereon at their earliest convenience.

This committee reported at considerable length at the special meeting held October 15, 1851. The report goes very fully

into the whole subject of schoolhouses, but I will read only that part of the report which refers more particularly to the middle district.

The committee say that "after consultation with the School Committee, and after consideration of the whole subject, we have been led to the conclusion that the cause of good education in the Town demands the erection of two new school houses.
The report then goes on to speak of the other schoolhouses and of the intermediate school, which was then in the lower story of the Town Hall, and returns to the subject of the school in the middle district, as it was then called, as follows:
The Committee closed its report by recommending that "a Committee of five be appointed to select sites for the school houses above mentioned, to find the best terms on which such lots of land can be obtained, and upon what terms the school house and lot on Heath Street can be sold, and that the same Committee, cause plans of the new buildings to be made and estimates to be prepared of the cost of their erection, and report all the facts to the town at the next annual meeting, for further action."

The report was accepted, and a committee was appointed in accordance with the recommendation of the report.

The Committee reported at the annual meeting held March 8, 1852, that they could not obtain any suitable sites for the schoolhouses at the points named, and that being unable to find a new site in this section of the town, they have made no attempt to obtain terms for the sale of the present house and lot.

The committee reported, however, in favor of erecting a building on the town land for the northern district near Harvard and School streets. Nothing was done towards providing a new school for the Heath district.

The matter was not allowed to rest, however; the School Committee constantly referred to the need of better accommodations, and at the adjourned annual meeting held April 4, 1853, it was voted, "That a committee of nine persons be chosen, to take into consideration the whole subject of new school houses and their location, and report as soon as practicable at a town meeting to be specially called for the purpose with such recommendations as they may deem proper, and that the Building Committee appointed last year be directed, in the meantime, to take no further action."

This committee acted vigorously and reported at a special meeting held September 22, 1853. The report was accepted, and among other votes were the following:
Just as the necessary steps for taking the land by right of eminent domain were inaugurated, but before the land was actually taken, the committee reported at a special meeting, held December 26, 1853, "That Mr. White within the time specified, offered your committee a lot of land on Brighton Street (this is now Chestnut Hill avenue) but owing to the location and unsuitableness of the land, they deemed it inexpedient to purchase it. Since then a proposition has been received from Mr. Stephen Bass, offering to sell the town a lot of land in the immediate vicinity of the present school house on conditions and terms as follows; viz. 'That he will sell the town a lot of land on the opposite side of the street containing one acre, the price to be two thousand dollars and to take the lot the present school house now stands upon at the same price; the school house to be built upon the back part of the lot, which will be about twenty rods from the road, and a tight fence 8 ft. high made and maintained.' "

The committee did not deem it expedient to purchase under those restrictions, but they recommended the town to purchase the lot offered by Mr. Bass, and sell the land the present schoolhouse now stands on, "provided he will allow the new school house to be built within ten rods of the road, and enclosed with a suitable fence."

The report was recommitted to the same committee, and they were instructed to purchase the lot "on the best terms they can."

The town at this time was negotiating through its Selectmen for the selecting and laying out of two lots to erect new schoolhouses on, one on Pleasant street, at the corner of Beacon street, and the other in the vicinity of Pearl place, besides the grammar and primary building to take the place of the old building in the north district. This new building was a four room brick building situated on Prospect street, which was dedicated in May, 1855, and has served as a primary and grammar school until the present time. It has recently been enlarged by the addition of eight rooms, making it now a twelve room primary school for the Pierce district.

Necessary appropriations were made for the other new buildings, and in November, 1854, the new schoolhouse on Heath street was opened, and the primary school was then removed from its most shabby and uncomfortable quarters to the new building.

It was then found necessary to establish a grammar school in the same building, and it was accordingly opened in charge of Mr. Henry Willey.

With the advent of the school into its new building, matters seem to have improved, but the School Committee complain very much of the irregularity of attendance. They speak well of the thorough teaching which the school enjoys, and exhort the parents to exert themselves to have their children attend more regularly.

In the report for the year 1864, the committee say that the Heath Grammar School is still taught, without assistance, by Mr. Thomas E. Lanman and go on to say:
The building was enlarged in 1871 by the addition of two rooms, and again, in 1890, it was further enlarged by the addition of two more rooms, making it a six room building.

In 1873 the town was considering the subject of providing additional school accommodations, and as some difficulty was experienced in securing proper sites for schoolhouses, it was Resolved, "That in the judgment of the Town, it would be wise for the School Committee to consider the expediency of securing land for school purposes in the south and west portions of the town without further delay, or in such other places, whether north or east, as they find the need of new school houses may soon come."

At the special meeting held October 28 of that same year, 1873, the third article was to see if the town will establish a school on Heath street, near Hammond street, and to buy a lot and build on the same.

Under this article it was voted, "That the matter be referred to the Selectmen, and that they be authorized to purchase a lot of land and buildings on Heath Street, near Hammond Street, in the upper part of Brookline, and to establish a school therein for the young children of the locality, and that the sum of six thousand dollars ($6000.00) be appropriated to purchase the land and buildings and fit up the Buildings."

Under this vote the land and buildings on Heath street at the corner of Oak street were bought, but nothing was done towards opening a school, and the buildings, consisting of a moderate sized dwelling house and a small stable, were soon after destroyed by fire. A fire-engine house has since been erected on this lot.

A few years afterwards, and at various intervals since then, the School Committee caused a census of this district to be taken, and while in these latter years they found the whole number of pupils large enough to warrant the erection of a schoolhouse, the children were of such different ages, and were scattered through so many grades, it was deemed best not to build a schoolhouse, the Committee believing that better results could be obtained in a larger building where the numbers were sufficient to warrant a separate room for each grade.

It was doubtless with this idea in mind that in 1874, and again in 1880, the subject of discontinuing the little Newton

Street School was considered in town meeting, and each time the matter was indefinitely postponed.

The introduction of the Kindergarten and Manual Training into the school system, and the desire of the School Committee to extend the advantages of both these branches of instruction to the pupils of the Heath School, led to the erection of the Manual Training Shop in 1898, followed by an addition two years later which doubled its former capacity.

History repeats itself; in the course of years, new buildings with ample accommodations, furnished with everything conducive to the comfort of the pupils and teachers, had been erected in the different parts of the town, but the Heath district failed to share in these advantages.

The School Committee in 1900 reported to the town that the old building was unworthy of the town of Brookline, and was lacking in the chief essentials of a modern schoolhouse.

After enumerating many of the disadvantages of the building, the committee said, in their judgment, the need of a new schoolhouse in this district was imperative.

Petitions had been received from the residents of the district asking for better accommodations, and a committee representing the parents and citizens had appeared before the School Committee urging the same.

At the town meeting held January 19, 1902, the sum of forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) was appropriated for the purchase of the Reed lot at the corner of Boylston street and Reservoir lane, on which the new building stands, and the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) was placed at the disposal of the Park Commissioners for grading and otherwise improving the lot.

The School Committee was authorized to expend the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) for the erection of a new building.

Messrs. Peabody and Stearns were employed as the architects, and on November 23 of that year, bids for the proposed building were publicly opened and read.

It was found that the building as designed could not be erected for the sum appropriated, and the facts were reported to the town at the special meeting held December 20. On the recommendation of the School Committee the appropriation was increased to one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000.00).

The new building is a fine example of modern school architecture, and contains, besides the necessary class rooms and recitation rooms, a fine hall named in memory of Mrs. Elizabeth Cabot, besides the principal's and teachers' rooms. In the basement is one of the best appointed gymnasiums in any schoolhouse in the town, with lockers and a good system of shower baths. The building when viewed from Boylston street shows somewhat at a disadvantage by reason of the grade of the lot, but the future development of this particular section of the town contemplates building a street through the valley in front of the building, and when this is done the appearance of the whole place will be very much improved.













The name of this corporation shall be Brookline Historical Society.

The objects of this Society shall be the study of the history of the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, its societies, organizations, families, individuals, events; the collection and preservation of its antiquities, the establishment and maintenance of an historical library, and the publication from time to time of such information relating to the same as shall be deemed expedient.

Any person of moral character who shall be nominated and approved by the Board of Trustees may be elected to membership by ballot of two-thirds of the members present and voting thereon at any regular meeting of the Society. Each person so elected shall pay an admission fee of three dollars, and an annual assessment of two dollars; and any member who shall fail for two consecutive years to pay the annual assessment shall cease to be a member of this Society; provided, however, that any member who shall pay twenty-five dollars in anyone year may thereby become a Life member; and any member who shall pay fifty dollars in any one year may thereby become a Benefactor of the Society, and thereafter shall be free from all dues and assessments. The money received from Life members and Benefactors shall constitute a fund, of which not more than twenty per cent, together with the annual income there from, shall be spent in anyone year.

The Society may elect Honorary and Corresponding members in the manner in which annual members are elected, but they shall have no voice in the management of the Society, and shall not be subject to fee or assessment.

Certificates signed by the President and the Clerk may be issued to all persons who become Life members, and to Benefactors.


The officers of this Society shall be seven Trustees, a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary (who shall be Clerk of the Society and may also be elected to fill the office of Treasurer), and a Treasurer, who, together, shall constitute the Board of Trustees. The Trustees, Clerk, and Treasurer shall be chosen by ballot at the annual meeting in January, and shall hold office for one year, and until others are chosen and qualified in their stead. The President and Vice-President shall be chosen by the Board of Trustees from their number at their first meeting after their election, or at an adjournment thereof.

The annual meeting of this Society shall be held on the fourth Wednesday of January. Regular stated meetings shall be held on the fourth Wednesday of February, March, April, May, October, November, and December.

Special meetings may be called by order of the Board of Trustees. The Clerk shall notify each member by a written or printed notice sent through the mail postpaid at least three days before the time of meeting, or by publishing such notice in one or more newspapers published in Brookline.

At all meetings of the Society ten (10) members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

The meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be called by the Clerk at the request of the President, by giving each member personal or written notice, or by sending such notice by mail, postpaid, at least twenty-four hours before the time of such meeting; but meetings where all the Trustees are present may be held without' such notice. The President shall call meetings of the Board of Trustees at the request of any three members thereof. A majority of its members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Vacancies in the offices of Trustees, Clerk, or Treasurer may be filled for the remainder of the term at any regular meeting of the Society by the vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting. In the absence of the Clerk at a meeting of the Society, a Clerk pro tempore shall be chosen.

At the monthly meeting in December, a Nominating Committee of three members shall be appointed by the presiding officer, who shall report at the annual meeting a list of candidates for the places to be filled.

The President, or in his absence the Vice-President, shall preside at all meetings of the Society. In the absence of those officers a President pro tempore shall be chosen.

The Clerk shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of his duties. He shall notify members of all meetings of the Society, and shall keep an exact record of all the proceedings of the Society at its meetings.

He shall conduct the general correspondence of the Society and place on file all letters received. He shall enter the names of members in order in books or cards kept for that purpose, and issue certificates to Life members and to Benefactors. He shall have charge of such property in possession of the Society as may from time to time be delegated to him by the Board of Trustees. He shall acknowledge all loans or gifts made to the Society.

The Treasurer shall collect all moneys due the Society, and pay all bills against the Society when approved by the Board of Trustees. He shall keep a full account of receipts and expenditures in a book belonging to the Society, which shall always be open to the inspection of the Trustees; and at the annual meeting in January he shall make a written report of all his doings for the year preceding. The Treasurer shall give bonds in such sum, with surety, as the Trustees may fix, for the faithful discharge of his duties.

The Board of Trustees shall superintend the prudential and executive business of the Society, authorize all expenditures of money, fix all salaries, provide a common seal, receive and act upon all resignations and forfeitures of membership, and see that the by-laws are duly complied with. The Board of Trustees shall have full powers to hire, lease, or arrange for a suitable home for the Society, and to make all necessary rules and regulations required in the premises.

They shall make a report of their doings at the annual meeting of the Society.

They may from time to time appoint such sub-committees from their own number as they deem expedient. In case of a vacancy in the office of Clerk or Treasurer they shall have power to choose the same pro tempore till the next meeting of the Society.


The President shall annually, in the month of January, appoint four standing committees, as follows:

A committee of three members, to be styled the "Committee on Rooms," to which shall be added the President and Clerk of the Society ex-officio, who shall have charge of all arrangements of the rooms (except books, manuscripts, and other objects appropriate to the library offered as gifts or loans), the hanging of pictures, and the general arrangements of the Society's collection in their department.

A committee of three members, to be styled the" Committee on Papers," who shall have charge of the subjects of papers to be read, or other exercises of a profitable nature, at the monthly meetings of the Society.

A committee of three or more members, to be styled the "Committee on Membership," whose duty it shall be to give information in regard to the purposes of the Society, and increase its membership.

A committee of three or more members, to be styled the" Committee on Library," who shall have charge of the arrangements of the library, including acceptance and rejection of books, manuscripts, and other objects tendered to the library, and the general arrangement of the Society's collections in that department.

These four committees shall perform their duties as above set forth under the general direction and supervision of the Board of Trustees. Vacancies that occur in any of these committees during their term of service shall be filled by the President.

The President shall annually, in the month of January, appoint two members, who, with the President, shall constitute the Committee on Finance, to examine from time to time the books and accounts of the Treasurer, to audit his accounts at the close of the
year, and to report upon the expediency of proposed expenditures of money.

These by-laws may be altered or amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present, notice of the subject matter of the proposed alterations or amendments having been given at a previous meeting.