Lyman School for Boys at Westborough 1885-1971 At the completion of the first decade of Lymans opening in 1885 the cottage system philosophy of operating a reform facility was being challenged as an ineffective and costly way to do business. The Lyman Superintendent had foreseen these issues and had lobbied the trustees and legislature for the change to a centralized laundry, kitchen as well as a dedicated school building. Photo 1…SHAKER BUILDING WITH COVERED PORCH, NEW SCHOOL BLDG. However, it was not until 1897 when there was an appropriation of $25,000 for a new school building. The boys from the masonry class made 700,000 bricks for the construction and the new school building opened March 1, 1900. The school classes that were held in each cottage were moved to this new facility along with the teaching staff. A gymnasium and pool were added in 1907. The building was later connected to the auditorium by an enclosed passageway in 1935. Today, both buildings were razed. Photo 2…KITCHEN-BAKERY, LAUNDRY, STOREHOUSE A new kitchen/bakery, laundry combination and separate manual arts building were built in 1901 for $28,000. Previously, all meals were cooked in each cottage by the matron. When the central kitchen was brought on line, all meals were cooked here and transported in metal milk cans to each cottage. The boys from the Hillside Cottage were detailed to work the laundry and assist with kitchen duties. On June 3 1921 a suspicious fire at the Lyman laundry was discovered by a night watchman who sounded the alarm. The laundry machines were located under the shoe and woodworking shops in the power plant building. The boys of the Lyman fire brigade responded and were able to contain the blaze until the Westborough Fire Department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. The fire alarms had attracted local residents who swarmed to the scene to watch the action. The damage was done primarily to clothing, linens, sheets, towels and the rubber drive belts of the machines but no damage was done to the machinery. In 1922 the legislature approved $75,000 for a new central kitchen/storehouse addition, additional subways and sidewalks connecting all the cottages and to the Park Street trolley station, light poles were replaced from the ice storm of 1921. Today, sold at auction Photo 3…MANUAL ARTS BUILDING Originally built in 1901 as the manual arts building, it was later enlarged and renovated to accommodate the schools heating plant. The underground utility tunnels built in 1907 were piped into the boiler to supply heat and hot water to the cottages. Photo 4…LYMAN POWER PLANT TODAY, sold at auction....
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 01:39:28 +0000