QR Tour #12 – The Brick School

William Crosby was the original owner of all the land in the downtown area of Milford. He sold a plot of land to Benjamin French in 1793 and the land passed through several owners when the School District finally bought the land from the last owners – the Hutchinson Family – in 1852 for $800. This two-story brick building was built in 1853 after the 1838 brick school on the west side of the Oval became too crowed and small. The school was built at a cost of $6,973 which included the cost of the land, building and furnishings. At the time it was built, this building was considered “a wonder of the town” and with the erection of this building Milford stood at the forefront of public education in the State of New Hampshire.

Since this building was the only High School in Milford students from the other district schools could come here upon payment of 25 cents tuition per week for the study of English, and 33 cents per week for the study of languages.

The building finally closed in 1908 when the White School on Garden Street opened. The school remained empty until it was sold in 1928/29 for $7,000 to John T. Smith who made it into a factory for window curtains.   In 1945 it was purchased by the Cabinet Press who moved ink in 1950. The Telegraph was in this building for several years and is currently owned by Lyndsey Landing although the Telegraph still rents space here.

— Polly Cote,
Milford Historical Society Historian