Lyman
Boys School in Westborough Massachusetts ( 1848-1971)
This Educational History page started 2-27-01 by Dick Bolt [email protected]
Last Edited/upgraded 04-25-08 The Lyman School for Boys in Westborough Massachusetts
was created in 1846 as "State Manual Labor School". It was located on Chancy
Pond on 180 Acre Farm. Note: The web site is NOT from a former resident!
It is a history site that was set up with minimual info & photos. It
only builds from contribution of the readers/viewers. I have had at least
3 ex residends contact me with helpfull information. Also there was contact
by one whoes parents worked there. Westborough MA is next to Grafton where
I grew up. RBB
Chauncy Hall in Westborough
Hillside Cottage in Westborough
Is this the Berlin Building at the Berlin MA Lyman School
This is likely one of the Lyman School classes ? One alumni on line says it looks like one of the buildings,
but no blacks were allowed ! It looks like the back boy/man was next to one of
the staff, so he could be the hired help ?
It makes one wonder what the State of Massachusetts
did with the troubled black & Indian boys ?
Walter Meigs on left
This photo was sent by relatives of theirs : From census of 1920 info: Walter Meigs age 9 on first page of census with his parents, Gertrude (34) and
Frank Meigs (30).Photo Age of Walter is abt. 11 & Alfred
Griffin abt. 16. Ira & Sarah Dudley, Managers of the School
Lyman School Asby MA ( Not the Westborough one)
Report on photo by ex resident The building
on the right of photo looks very much like the building that still stands
where new internies left their street clothes and got their inside garb.
That brick building was called "the stores" and contained the carpenter
shop, the paint shop, and the print shop when I was at Lyman. The white
house was notthere and, in fact, nothing was on its site. I think a court-house
is now on or near its site now
Article in Westborough History Book?
Shows Orig building design.Fires in 1859 & 1900 destroyed
much of school.
Interior class room of Lyman School in 1870 period (stereo card)
This is an 1870ca view by Thomas Lewis of Cambridgeport, Mass. No.
57 from his Westboro Mass.Series entitled, School in Farm House-Reform
School. The class is being conducted in the Massachusetts State Reform
School, Westbrorough (later "Lyman School for Boys") which opened in 1848.
The boys, all in uniform, pose with their books open on their desks.
LEAF, James G. "A History of the Internal Organization
of the State Reform School for Boys at
Westborough, Massachusetts (1846-1974)." Doctoral dissertation,
Harvard University, 1988.
New leeds for research:
From NY Times articles not fully seen yet:
Aug. 25, 1859-Reforme school burned down by boy who was student there.(See
Worcester Paper?)
Jan.15,1877-Riot in Reform School (See Worcester Paper?)
May 14th, 1877-Editorial on Reform school does not reform
Aug.5th, 1877-Reform school punishment
Aug 27th, 1900-2 boys burn in barn at Lyman School (See Worcester Paper?)