A Brief History of the Westwood Historical Society

Originally, in 1845, the Fisher School stood on Clapboardtree Street.

At the time, the building, now home to the Westwood Historical Society, was named after Ebenezer Fisher, who was a local farmer and also a veteran of the Revolutionary War. The house was used as a school until the early 1900s.

When Westwood officially became a town and separated from Dedham in 1987, enrollment in the school began to drop. Then, in 1905, the school closed its doors to students.

Shortly afterwards, the Fisher School was purchased by William Colburn, who moved it from Clapboardtree Street to Milk Street for hay storage. During this time, a sliding barn door was installed, and a wall at the entrance was moved back for more storage space.

In 1994, owner Roger Pierce handed over the building to the Westwood Historical Society for the price of one dollar, and plans began to move the school from Milk Street to High Street, next to the Thurston Middle School where it stands today.

In 1995, the Fisher School was moved to its current location on a new concrete foundation, and the barn door was replaced by two windows to restore it to its original design. The wall that was previously moved was also restored to its original state.

What's more, every year since 2000, Westwood's third-grade classes spend a day at the Fisher School to experience a student's life in a 19th-century classroom, with original furniture from the time period.

One unique characteristic of the floor of the Fisher School's classroom is that it is covered in black stains. John Pritchard, a Westwood resident and member of the Westwood Historical Society, said the stains date back to when the building was used as a school.

"The stains are from ink," Pritchard.

"See how there's two doors?" asked Pritchard, pointing to the two doors at the school's entrance.  "One was for the boys, and the other was for the girls."

He also explained how the boys and the girls were always kept separate back in those days.  

The Westwood Historical Society has raised over $300,000 for the restoration of the Fisher School, and it is the only standing one-room school house in Westwood.

More recently, in Massachusetts.

To learn more about the Fisher School, visit the Westwood Historical Society's website.