The Peirce School (also known as Old Peirce School ) is a historic school building at 88 Chestnut Street, corner of Austin Street, in West Newton, Massachusetts . The brick building was built in 1895 and operated by the Newton Public Schools as an elementary school from 1895 until June 1951. It originally served grades one through eight, but at the time of its closing, it was a kindergarten through sixth grade (K–6) school. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 1979.
23-530: Peirce School, (originally pronounced as if it were spelled "Purse" but now usually pronounced as if it were spelled "Pierce"), was named for Cyrus Peirce , (1790–1860), a Unitarian minister and educator, who was the first principal (or president) of the first Normal School opened in the United States in Lexington and served as such from 1839 until 1842 when he retired because of poor health. In 1844
46-500: A private school there, but after two years there, he returned to Harvard in 1810 to start divinity school, which he completed in 1815. He then returned to Nantucket where he resumed his teaching career. On April 1, 1816, in Nantucket, Peirce married Harriet Coffin, (born June 26, 1794), the daughter of William Coffin, II, and Deborah Pinkham Coffin, his wife. They had no children. Peirce left Nantucket to begin preaching in 1818 and
69-465: A total of 4 Massachusetts State Championships. The Whalers won state championships in 1980, 1995, 1996, and 2011. Also, they were State Finalists in 1982, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1994 and 1998. The Nantucket Football team has appeared in the MIAA state Championship game a total of 10 times since 1980. Nantucket's football team was led by legendary coach Vito Capizzo for 45 years, from 1964 to 2009. Capizzo coached
92-475: Is now Framingham State College , in Framingham , which considers him as its first president. Now Peirce moved to temple street. The Peirce School building was designed by Stickney & Austin, architects, in the style described as Colonial Revival , although today it might be described as Late 19th Century Public School . The exterior was built of granite, brick and sandstone with a slate roof. Although it
115-485: Is numbered 88 Chestnut Street, the building actually faces on Austin Street. The imposing entrance facing Austin Street was largely ceremonial and served as the place for taking class pictures. The plainer entrances at either end of the building were the ones used for ingress and egress. The City of Newton assessment rolls show the building as vacant, but recent aerial photos show a paved parking lot with cars parked in it on
138-467: Is still in operation as a K-5 school. 42°20′50″N 71°13′26″W / 42.34722°N 71.22389°W / 42.34722; -71.22389 Cyrus Peirce Cyrus Peirce (1790–1860), American educator and Unitarian minister, was the founding president of the first American public normal school , which evolved into Framingham State University . Cyrus Peirce (originally pronounced "Purse," but now usually as if it were spelled "Pierce")
161-607: Is the skeleton of a juvenile finback whale hanging in the commons area of Nantucket High School that serves as the team's mascot. The Nantucket girls' athletic teams are known as the Lady Whalers, but now commonly known as just the Whalers. The Nantucket football team is the schools most successful athletics team and is further regarded as one of the most successful small-school programs in Massachusetts. They have won
184-734: The First Unitarian Society in Newton now stands. Ill health again forced Peirce to retire but he remained associated with the academy until his death. Peirce died on April 5, 1860, in West Newton and is buried in Section TT, Lot 148 in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Nantucket. His monument was erected by the students of the normal school and consists of a Celtic cross inscribed with the motto he had chosen for
207-487: The Island Cup on the weekend before Thanksgiving . The Island Cup is played on Nantucket one year, then on Martha's Vineyard the next year and alternates back and forth. The Nantucket boys' lacrosse team appeared in the state championship game consecutively for over a decade from 1999 onward. The school newspaper, Veritas , won 14 awards at the 2013 New England Scholastic Press Association ceremony. The paper took
230-610: The Normal School was moved to West Newton and located on Washington Street on the site now occupied by the First Unitarian Society in Newton , which is also on the National Register. Peirce moved to Newton that year and resumed his leadership of the school and served until 1849, when he again retired because of ill health. Peirce lived the rest of his life in West Newton. The Normal School he headed
253-420: The art of Teaching. This, it is not easy to give. From what I say, you may get some idea of what I attempt; and of the manner of it. Two things I have aimed at, especially in this school. 1. To teach thoroughly the principles of the several branches studied, so that the pupils may have a clear and full understanding of them. 2nd, to teach the pupils by my own example, as well as by precepts, the best way of teaching
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#1732771770223276-549: The island. In 1838 Peirce became the first principal of Nantucket High School , but left in July 1839 at Horace Mann 's behest to go to Lexington to become the first head (later called president) of the first public normal school in the country. In an 1841 letter to Henry Barnard where he described his work in the Lexington Normal School, Peirce wrote: You ask for a full account of my manner of instruction in
299-479: The mascot is Hank the Harpoon Man, whose name was chosen by the students in 2013. In 1838, Nantucket High School (NHS) was founded with Cyrus Peirce as the school's first principal. The school's team's name Whalers is in tribute to the long and storied history of the commercial whaling industry on Nantucket. Nantucket is regarded as one of the most recognizable and synonymous places associated with Whaling in
322-514: The normal school, Peirce left for Europe where he was a delegate to the third International Peace Congress in 1849 and toured the continent and England before returning to West Newton. After returning from Europe in 1850, Peirce became involved with Nathaniel Topliff Allen (1823–1903) in Allen's Academy in West Newton. After the normal school moved to Framingham in 1853, the academy took over its buildings which were located on Washington Street, where
345-484: The same exercise. The students understand that, at all the recitations, they are at perfect liberty to suggest queries, doubts, opinions. The experimental normal school in Lexington, which was to evolve into today's Framingham State University , began on a modest note with only three students, but it had grown to 42 by July 1842, when ill health forced Peirce to resign his position there and return to Nantucket. By 1844
368-409: The same things effectually to others. I have four different methods of recitation. 1st, by question and answer; 2nd, by conversation; 3rd, by calling on one, two, three, more or less, to give an analysis of the whole subject contained in the lesson, and 4th, by requiring written analyses in which the ideas of the author are stated in the language of the pupil. I do not mean that these are all practised at
391-464: The school had moved to West Newton and Peirce was persuaded to return for another term in July 1844. He served until May 1849, when ill health again forced him to resign. While at the school, he closed each class with the call for them to "Live to the Truth". His words are the motto of today's Framingham State University, which has acknowledged him as its first president. Soon after leaving his post at
414-593: The school: "Live to the Truth." Harriet Peirce died on September 29, 1884, and is buried next to her husband. Several buildings and schools are named after Peirce. These and other memorials to him include: Nantucket High School Nantucket High School is a public high school in Nantucket, Massachusetts , United States. It is the only high school on the island of Nantucket . The school serves students in grades 9–12 and has an approximate enrollment of 530 students. The school colors are Navy Blue and White, and
437-477: The south side of the building. The building is called Peirce House and offers subsidized housing for seniors and disabled people. A new, more modern Peirce School was built at 170 Temple Street, corner of Berkeley Street in West Newton and opened in September, 1951 to replace the old Peirce School. Ann L. Caldwell, last principal of the old school, continued as principal of the new school. The new Peirce School
460-543: The team to 293 wins (3rd most in Massachusetts history), won 3 State Championships, appeared in 9 State Championship games, won 17 League Championships, and was named Coach of the Year numerous times by many publications. In 2011, Nantucket won its first state championship in fifteen years with a 35–0 rout over Latin Academy (Dorchester, Massachusetts). Every year, the Nantucket football team plays against Martha's Vineyard for
483-459: The world. In 2019, NHS graduated its largest class in the school's history with 136 students. The Nantucket High School athletic teams are known as the Whalers. There are currently five boys' teams (soccer, basketball, swimming, lacrosse, and baseball), six girls' teams (softball, basketball, swimming, lacrosse, volleyball, and soccer), and six coed teams (football, field hockey, ice hockey, cheerleading, golf, sailing, and cross country). There
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#1732771770223506-460: Was born on August 15, 1790, in Waltham, Massachusetts , the twelfth and last child of Isaac Peirce and Hannah Mason Peirce, his wife. He went to Framingham Academy before going to Harvard . During his sophomore year in the winter of 1807–1808, he began teaching in nearby West Newton . After receiving his bachelor's degree from Harvard in 1810, Peirce went to Nantucket Island to take charge of
529-595: Was ordained a Unitarian minister in North Reading on May 19, 1819, and ministered there until May 19, 1827, when he resigned to take charge of a school in North Andover , where he stayed until 1831. In 1831, Peirce returned to Nantucket and opened a "School for Young Ladies." In 1832, fourteen-year-old Maria Mitchell , who later became a well-known astronomer, became one of his pupils. She eventually became his assistant, but left to start her own school on
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