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The City Council of 1889 approximated the sum of $80,524 for the erection of the new Willard School house and the next year made an additional appropriation of $18,500 to complete the building which contained 16 rooms.
The building was ready for occupancy September 9, 1891. The total enrollment of pupils at this time being 820. Since the erection of this building four additional rooms have been arranged within the original structure and during the year 1923 an assembly hall was finished on the third floor. The enrollment of pupils attending the Willard in 1922 was 869.
The Gridley Bryant school building situated at the junction of Willard and Robertson Streets.
In 1896 the City Council approximated the sum of $75,000 for the erection of the Gridley Bryant and the Massachusetts Field School buildings. These buildings were erected and in the fall of the same year were ready for occupancy. They both contain 9 rooms and accommodate 450 pupils. The Gridley Bryant School drew 275 pupils from the Willard.
The first corps of teachers for this school were:
Principal, Austin W. Greene
Teachers, VII grade Miss Atkins
V grade Miss Burns
VI grade Miss Cashman
III grade Miss Talbot
IV grade Miss Boyd
II grade Miss Dell
I grade Miss McGovern
This building remains of the same capacity as when built, the number of pupils enrolled September, 1922 was 316.
Superintendent of Schools
1799 Herbert W Lull -1900
1801 [Frank E.] Parlin 1901-8
1802 [Albert L.] Barbour 1909-21
1806 [Fred H.] Nickerson appointed Superintendent 1921- deceased Oct 17, 1926 and was succeeded by
Mr. James Muir the present Superintendent [c.1929].
Furnace Meadows was owned in 1850 by Solomon Willard and it was in this meadow that he endeavored to educate the younger generation into the mysteries of agriculture. As soon as the frost was gone, Mr. Willard would assemble the boys and lot out a small plot of ground to each, and instruct them in turning the soil, planting and cultivating the plots of land. Mr. Willard previous to this had drained this area by clearing away the underbrush, thereby not only improving the land but also improved the sanitary condition of the neighborhood.
In 1852 Mr. Willard advertised for sale Peat Muck and Meadow Muck for fuel and fertilizer. This material he was prepared to take from the furnace meadow in quantities of from 1 to 1000 cords, the price being $2.00 per cord. As far as I can ascertain, very little of this material was taken from the meadow. The locality between Cross Street and Furnace Avenue along the banks of the brook was the only place from which any of this peat and mud were taken.
Northerly view 25 years ago [c.1905] from the top of the grout heap near the West Quincy Railroad Station.
Foresters Hall, located on Crescent Street opposite the Hall Cemetery, and was erected in the summer of 1881, and dedicated Thursday, September 10, 1881 and occupied by the Saint Francis Court, Catholic Order of Foresters. The land on which the building stands is owned by the Hall Cemetery Association.
Branch Library building situated on Furnace Brook Parkway near Copeland Street was erected in 1921 and is open daily and affords the citizens of Ward Four the pleasure of obtaining required books without the trouble and expense of going to the main library building in City Square. In 1888 Mr. E.H. Doble made arrangements to deliver books in West Quincy from the public library. This was maintained for a number of years and proved to be a great convenience.
View south from the junction of Copeland and Cross Streets showing the main business section of Ward Four.
