Old School Building in Maine Closed in 2001

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Berwick's educational system has been evolving throughout the town's history, from one-room scattered district schools to today's regional schools that accommodate students from multiple communities. During this time the system developed in terms of how children were educated, where they were educated, what they studied, and how they studied. The Berwick High School represents a stage in this evolution; a period in which school buildings had become relatively sophisticated, and in which several courses of study were offered. Between the opening of the school in 1928 and its closing in 2001, it was central to the town's educational system as its only public high school. The closing of the school marked the end of an era for truly "local" high school education, as students now attend the regional high school.

The opportunity for "higher learning" (classes beyond eighth grade) was presented in 1791 when a school was established in the village of South Berwick. The first high school building in what is today the town of Berwick was constructed shortly after 1872 when the town voted to erect a grammar school/high school building. Before 1872, three of Berwick's local district elementary schools also held high school classes. No doubt, overcrowded conditions at the district schools were a major reason for the establishment of a consolidated high school. In addition, an 1870 state law abolishing school districts and transferring control of schools to the town (rather than multiple district committees) paved the way for a consolidated high school. The state legislature had also recently passed laws providing generous financial incentives, in the form of state aid, to assist towns in establishing free high schools. This two-story Second Empire-style wood frame structure stood near the town center (on the same site as the 1927 high school building) until 1894 when it was destroyed by fire. It was quickly replaced by a new high school building, a simple two-story Shingle-style wood frame structure with a hip roof, known as Sullivan High School. On June 6^th, 1927 a fire broke out in the boiler room of the Sullivan School while classes were in session. Students and faculty filed out of the building thinking it was merely a fire drill but the school was completely destroyed, leaving only the chimney remaining the next day. Construction of the existing high school was delayed for a short time because the town was already indebted close to its legal limit and could not borrow additional funds without a special act of the legislature, which would not convene until January 1929. The town was, however, able to secure private loans from local citizens, who were then repaid after the 1929 legislature met. On July 11^th, 1927 townspeople voted to erect "a new building, of brick construction, at a cost not to exceed the sum of $50,000." Construction of the new Berwick High School continued throughout the subsequent 1927/28 school year, during which time classes were held at the local Knights of Pythias building. Research indicates that the flagpole standing at the front of the school was donated by C.E. Ricker, a local plumbing contractor, in 1928.

As had been the case at the Sullivan High School, the new Berwick High School included classrooms for seventh and eighth-grade students as well as those at the high school level. Although the trend toward constructing separate junior high schools for 7^th and 8^th grade students began around 1915 in many Maine communities, many of the smaller towns like Berwick did without through the mid-twentieth century. The first floor of the Berwick High School was originally occupied by the Junior High students. The number of students attending the high school was relatively stable during the 1930s and 1940s, averaging about 95 students per year. The 1936 Annual Report of the High School Principal notes that there were "four instructors conducting three courses of study, General, College Preparatory, and Commercial...," the standard high school curriculum at the time. During the tenure of Payson Smith as Maine Superintendent of Education (from 1907-1916) commercial/vocational training became a part of most high school curricula. Smith advocated teaching academic subjects as well as practical subjects, such as typing, shorthand, sewing, cooking, agriculture, and industrial arts. Vocational education was further advanced by the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, which provided federal matching funds to establish vocational education programs in secondary schools throughout the country. The commercial programs were expanded in 1953 when the north wing was constructed; it held new classrooms for vocational training, including industrial arts and home economics.

Academics were not the sole focus of school life at Berwick High School. In keeping with a growing trend toward supporting extracurricular programs, the school offered student a range of activities to supplement their studies. When the building was opened in 1928 the school had a number of active clubs, including French, Latin, Debating, and Politics Clubs as well as a drama group and Glee Club. By 1940 the school also had a thriving athletics program, offering football, basketball (played in the town hall), and softball. Due to overcrowding in the grammar schools, a sixth-grade class was also located in the high school building in the mid-1930s, in a room that was to have been the library. A small library was kept in a room that had been designated as the Superintendent's office. The building was enlarged in 1953 with the construction of the north wing, which housed four large classrooms and a maintenance wing. A second larger addition was constructed off the south end of the building in 1960. In addition to four new classrooms, the south wing held a science laboratory and a large gymnasium.

In 1948 the seventh and eighth-grade classes were moved from the high school building to the new Estabrook Elementary School, freeing up much-needed space for high school classes. By 1950 the number of high school students had begun to decline, with only 88 enrolled in the high school that year. The Berwick High School continued to function as the town's only high school until 2001 when a regional school was constructed in North Berwick for the towns of Berwick, North Berwick, and Lebenon. The old high school building in Berwick has been vacant since that time.

Building Design

Educational reformers and commissions in the early 20^th century, particularly in states where educational legislation had recently been passed, were pushing for improvements to school buildings as the basis for establishing successful school practices. Countless books, articles, pamphlets, and studies were released, by both the architectural and educational communities, setting forth principles and standards by which new schools should be constructed, taking into consideration changes in health concerns, curriculum, and building technology. A report on Minneapolis public schools notes that "designers responded with spacious, well-lighted buildings furnished with a variety of new equipment and specially programmed rooms. Plans were based on I, U, and H shapes, and featured large windows, well-ventilated and heated spaces, and closely studied and carefully planned interior arrangements that provided for hygiene, fireproofing, and student safety. These building requirements were utilized almost universally in this country for new school construction from about 1910 into the 1930s. Among the laws implemented by the state of Maine during this period was a requirement that all plans and specifications for public school buildings be approved by the state Superintendent of Schools and the state Board of Health.

To assist communities in efforts to bring school buildings up to more healthful and safe standards, the state Educational Department published guidelines for the improvement of existing schools and grounds as well as for construction of new buildings. In 1904 the State of Maine Educational Department published a pamphlet entitled Improvement of School Buildings and Grounds in which they made detailed recommendations for all aspects of new school design and construction, from selecting the site to appropriate materials for floors and blackboards. The recommendations made in the Maine publication were consistent with those found in the many reports relating to educational reform released nationwide. Among the recommendations of the Maine Educational Department that most strongly influenced the design of the new Berwick High School were the following:

The Berwick High School is an excellent example of this new school building type and the only school building in town from this era. It was designed by J. Edward Richardson (1873-1947), an architect from Dover, New Hampshire. Born and educated in Dover, Richardson opened his architecture firm in 1894. He was responsible for the design of "many fine residences in Dover and adjoining towns," as well as at neighboring summer resorts. Richardson is also credited with designing an "elegant new fire station" in Dover, the D.A. Hurd residence in North Berwick, Dover City Hall (1934), 1928 additions to the second Dover High School (61 Locust Street), two buildings at the Austin-Cate Academy in Strafford, New Hampshire, and a school, library, and firehouse in North Berwick, Maine. The school is typical of the few municipal/institutional buildings that have been identified as having been designed by Richardson, principally in the use of Colonial Revival style detailing and a similar palette of red brick and cast stone trim.

According to a list of school construction projects maintained by the Maine Department of Education, both additions to the Berwick School were designed by architect Philip P. Snow (1914-2011) of Saco, Maine." A native of Biddeford Pool, Maine, Snow received a degree in engineering from the University of Maine. He founded his design firm following WW2 (later Philip Snow Associates). Snow worked until his retirement in 1978, designing numerous schools and school additions throughout Maine. Among his work were elementary schools for the communities of Waterford, North Yarmouth, Livermore, Kennebunkport, and Cumberland, and additions to the Norway High School, the Falmouth Junior High School, and Burnham Elementary School in North Kennebunkport.

The town of Berwick

The town of Berwick developed from a rural eighteenth-century lumbering village to a thriving commercial town that prospered in the nineteenth century as a result of industrial expansion in the neighboring town of Somersworth, New Hampshire, located just across the Salmon Falls River. Berwick was part of the town of Kittery (along with the communities of South Berwick, North Berwick, and Eliot) until 1713 when Berwick was set off as an independent town that included land that today makes up the towns of Berwick, North Berwick (set off in 1831) and South Berwick (set off in 1814), Although the seventeenth-century settlement of Berwick (known as the Upper Parish or North Parish of Kittery) initially took place in the north part of the parish at Blackberry Hill, a secondary village developed in the southern part of the parish at Old Fields (a.k.a, Oldfields). Early settlers were attracted to the region by abundant forests of pine, which provided for a thriving lumber industry. As early as 1634 sawmills were operating on the Great Works River (now located in the towns of North and South Berwick). Soon after, mills were also established on what is today the Salmon Falls River. The focus of town life shifted toward the geographic center of town, in the vicinity of the Great Falls along the Salmon Falls River, after 1825 when a significant cotton mill was established on the New Hampshire side of the river in the town of Somersworth. The Great Falls, with its drop of 100 feet, was a significant power source that eventually supported seven textile mills and a large collection of other manufacturing facilities in Somersworth. Industry expanded, although on a much smaller scale, to the Berwick side of the river. By 1872 a number of small manufacturing enterprises had been established in Berwick, including a machine shop, blacksmith shops, a shoe factory, a bleachery, a harness maker, reed weaving, and a woodworking shop. Industrial expansion continued through the late nineteenth century so that by 1904 Berwick boasted a large number of modest manufacturing concerns producing a variety of goods, among them harnesses, carriages, tools, leather goods, wood boxes, building materials, soap, confections, and cigars.

The town of Berwick subsidized a school for local children as early as 1714, with classes taught in private homes, but it was not until about 1718 that a schoolhouse was constructed. This first school was located in the southern part of the parish in Old Fields, which today is part of the town of South Berwick. It was reported that "reading, writing, and spelling" were taught at the earliest schools. By 1724 there were two schoolhouses in Berwick and classes were held in two-month sessions, until 1760 when the first full school year was introduced. After 1766, when a committee was appointed to "better regulate schools for the future," two schools were functioning regularly (History of York County, 1880 302). The number of students registered for school reached 563 by 1878 and 896 school children were attending 16 small rural schools by 1880.

Before the mid-twentieth century, elementary and grammar school classes (kindergarten through eighth grade) were held in several small schoolhouses scattered throughout town. Although there were as many as 16 of these small schools at one point, by 1936 the number was down to seven. The school Superintendent's reports in the first half of the twentieth century continually note problems with upkeep and inefficiencies in the small schools, some of which served only a handful of students. The Story of Berwick notes that "These one and two room schools were for community centers as well as school buildings, community sings, lectures, and many other community activities took place in these buildings." The small elementary/grammar schools remained in use until 1948 when the Estabrook School was constructed adjacent to the high school and all of the lower grades were consolidated there. The Estabrook School was subsequently supplanted by three more recent schools, the Hussey School (grades K through 4), Knowlton School (grades 5 and 6), and Noble Middle School (7^th and 8^th grades), all of which continue to function today.

Building Description

The former Berwick High School building is located on the northeast fringes of downtown Berwick, a short distance from the Salmon Falls River, which separates Maine and New Hampshire. The main block of the two-story brick building was erected in 1927, and later expanded by a pair of wings built in 1953 and 1960. The school currently sits on a large town-owned lot of land, which is also occupied by the Berwick police station and administrative building. In March, 2010 the town voted to allow a 75-year ground lease of that portion of the town parcel that holds the former Berwick High School building to facilitate redevelopment of the building. A small residential neighborhood containing several nineteenth-century houses lie just to the southwest of the school and serve as a buffer between the school property and the downtown commercial area. Similar residential development can be found to the west of the school as well. The areas directly north and east of the school property are characterized by large open undeveloped tracts of land. The Berwick High School building stands on a relatively flat lot on the northwest side of School Street, set back from the road approximately 85 feet. A paved driveway runs along the northeast side of the building, providing access to a large partially paved parking area at the rear of the lot. A grass lawn divided by paved walkways is maintained at the front of the building. Mature trees and shrubs are planted at the front and along the southwest side of the building. The southwest corner of the lot also features a small cluster of mature trees. A flagpole stands roughly halfway between the building facade and School Street. Erected in 1928, it consists of a steel flagstaff set on a simple granite base and topped by a ball finial.

The Berwick High School is a two-story building designed in the Colonial Revival style. The school consists of a main block (1927), a wing off the northeast elevation (noted here as "north" wing) from 1953, and a second wing off the southwest elevation (noted as "south" wing) from 1960. The north wing includes a small single-story ell at the rear, used as a maintenance area. The south wing includes a large two-story gymnasium off the rear. All sections of the building except the gymnasium and maintenance area are constructed of red brick trimmed with tan brick, in the form of quoins, water tables, a belt course, and the main entry surrounds. Brick was laid in a modified Flemish bond (headers every fourth row on the main block and every sixth row on the side wings). Cast stone was used for window sills, except at the basement level of the main block, where rough-cut granite sills are in place. Each section of the building is enclosed by a flat roof finished with recent rubber roofing material. Roof edges are caped by painted metal coping. The gymnasium is constructed of concrete block, as is the maintenance ell, which has a brick veneer at its northeast elevation. Window openings on the main block hold historic wood 9/9 double hung sash, while most windows in the additions retain the original bands of steel sash. There are a variety of pane configurations for the individual steel sash. Those on the northeast elevation of the north wing and the southwest and northeast elevations of the south wing are divided into 10 panes. Most of these have a lower operable hopper and upper pivoting panel. Steel sash on the southwest face of the north wing are divided into 12 panes and have a central pivoting panel.

The main block (nine bays wide and four bays deep) rises from a partially exposed concrete basement and is enclosed by a flat roof framed by a low brick parapet, which is stepped at the center of the facade (southeast elevation) and features a cast stone plaque identifying the building as "Berwick High School." The symmetrical facade is 9 bays wide and features a central main entry. Access to the main entry is by means of a low granite stoop. The entry is framed by simple brick pilasters supporting a cast stone entablature bearing the construction date (1927) and topped by a decorative iron balustrade. The original cast-iron lighting fixtures flank the entry doors. The historic glazed wood double doors were replaced by the existing wood windows, although the original fanlight remains above the opening. Above the main entry is a large paired window set within a brick segmental arch with cast stone imposts and keystone. Other windows at the facade and side elevations of the main block have splayed brick heads with cast stone keystones, while those at the northwest elevation have plain splayed brick lintels.

Only a portion of the upper floor is visible at the two side elevations, due to the construction of the side wings. Detailing of the four-bay side elevations matches that of the facade. The rear elevation (northwest) of the main block has less architectural detailing than the other exterior walls; the only significant ornamentation being brick quoins and a brick water table above the basement level. A wall chimney projects from the rear elevation and extends approximately five feet above the roofline. Window openings have simple cast stone sills and splayed brick heads. An original entry to the basement is centered on this elevation and holds the original paneled wood double doors. Another entry was inserted in the location of an original window on the second floor when a fire escape was added (date unknown) and today holds a modern flush metal door.

The classroom wings measure approximately 35' by 75' each, and while they both contain two full floors on the interior, the top of the foundations are closer to grade than on the main block; thus the wings are shorter than the central block. In addition, the front elevations of the matching wings have little in the way of fenestration - which serves to reinforce the classical prominence of the earlier building. A wide entry holding modern aluminum double doors is located at the first floor beneath a single small window at the second story of each wing. The window and door openings have splayed brick heads with a cast stone keystone. Only the window of the north wing retains the historic wood double-hung sash, while the other is blocked by plywood. The facades of both wings are decorated by a tan brick water table and quoins. Much of the wall space at the facade is occupied by a large brick panel with cast stone corner blocks. Side elevations of the classroom wings have similar detailing to the facades. Windows have cast stone sills and simple lintels formed by a course of header bricks. At the northeast elevation of the north wing windows at the first floor are arranged with two sets of paired sashes at the center, flanked by two sets with six sashes each. The second floor is the same less the two central pairs. The southwest elevation of the south wing has an asymmetrical arrangement (same at both floors) of a single offset window near the center, flanked by two sets of 7 grouped sash. Four of the five symmetrically arranged windows facing the rear courtyard are set individually rather than in bands.

Measuring roughly 36' x 49', this addition was built for the school maintenance department in 1953. It is a single-story brick addition projects from the north corner of the building (constructed in 1953 along with the north classroom wing) and features the same brick water table and quoins (on its northeast face) as the classroom wings. The northeast elevation of this utilitarian structure has a vehicular bay with an overhead door and a pedestrian entry with a modern flush door. The northwest, southwest, and northeast elevations feature large window openings with historic steel sash (now covered by plywood). The sash are set in pairs, as follows: four pairs on the northwest elevation, two pairs on the southwest elevation, and one pair on the northeast elevation. Each of the individual sash is divided into six panes and has an operable lower panel.

A two-story concrete block gymnasium (constructed in 1960) with a single-story rear ell is located in the west corner of the building. Measuring 72' by 52', the gymnasium has little in the way of architectural detailing other than plain door and window openings with concrete sills. The small windows are set high on the walls and are evenly spaced along the southwest, northwest, and northeast elevations. Each sash is divided into six panes and has an operable lower panel.

The interior retains a significant amount of historic fabric and the floor plans have undergone only minor reconfiguration over the years, most notably within the main block where a few of the original classrooms were subdivided into smaller rooms, the main entry vestibule was converted to office use, the former second-floor meeting hall was converted to a classroom, and modern suspended ceilings were installed. Despite these changes, the historic character of the interior is preserved, with most classrooms retaining their historic trim, built-in cabinetry, and chalkboards. The two historic steel staircases remain in use and the two added classroom wings are largely intact (finishes and floor plans).

The main block (built in 1927) is rectangular in plan and features a wide central corridor (at the basement and first floors) with staircases at either end. On the third floor, the stairs open directly into the assembly hall space. The two historic staircases are enclosed by exposed painted brick walls and consist of steel steps with paneled risers, concrete treads and landings, and simple steel balustrades with wood handrails. The basement holds utilitarian spaces (principally storage and mechanical rooms). When originally constructed, there were windows lighting the basement on all elevations. Like most high schools built in this era, it is likely that the basement originally included manual training rooms (original floor plans have not yet been located to confirm) but with the construction of the side wings, the use of the basement for classroom space was likely curtailed due to lack of natural light. The first floor of the main block houses four large classrooms and several small offices. Much of the second floor is occupied by the original assembly hall (along the rear wall), which remains a large open room. There is one classroom just to the southwest of the assembly hall and three others along the opposite southeast wall. While a number of modern features were installed on the first and second floors (most noticeably suspended panel ceilings), many historic finishes remain throughout, including wood baseboards and chair rails. Although the upper portions of the large window openings of the main block were blocked on the interior when suspended ceilings were installed, the historic multi-pane wood sash remains in place. Several rooms also retain original built-in cabinetry (small storage cabinets). Little has occurred in terms of room subdivision and corridors remain at their historic width.

The classroom wings increased teaching space for the school, adding nine spacious classrooms, including science laboratories. Each wing also features a wide corridor with locker storage. Finishes within the wings were more utilitarian than those of the main block, with exposed painted masonry walls (brick and CMU) and little in the way of trim. The rooms and corridors within the wings are finished with acoustic tile ceilings, linoleum flooring, and vinyl baseboards. Rooms within the wings remain in their original configurations.

The gymnasium consists of a large open two-story space with a series of small rooms (offices and storage rooms) along the north side (contained within a single-story wing built along with the gym). The gym space has exposed painted CMU walls, high windows with six-pane pivoting metal sash (that appear to be original features), and exposed steel trusses supporting the roof. The space remains at its original dimensions. Two walls of the gymnasium are covered with sound absorption panels up to the height of the windows. The lower portion of these two walls (approximately 7') are covered by protective padding. There is currently only one basketball backboard suspended from the ceiling although the floor is painted with court lines.

The building does not include a cafeteria. Students took their lunches at the nearby town hall where there was a large kitchen and dining hall. This practice began in 1943 when the town instituted a hot lunch program for all students and continued until an addition with a cafeteria was constructed at the adjacent Estabrook Elementary School (1960s).

Southeast facade (2009)

Southeast facade (2009)

Southwest elevation of south wing (2009)

Rear (northwest) additions (2009)

Northeast elevation of north wing (2009)

Gymnasium interior (2009)

First floor of main block, north stair (2009)

First floor of main block, north corner classroom (2009)

Second floor of south wing, corridor (2009)