The effort by Deerfield, Massachusetts, town reformers to seize control of the free Dickinson High School, the town’s joint educational venture with Deerfield Academy, came at the end of two decades of decline. By 1900, both schools were in poor condition, so much so that many Deerfield families had begun to send their children to nearby Greenfield high schools. This effort would prove to be unsuccessful. Both schools continued to decline until the 1902 arrival of a new, young, energetic headmaster, Frank Boyden. Through Boyden’s leadership, Deerfield Academy soon regained its stature as premier institution of education. In 1924, the Dickinson High School would move to a new building in South Deerfield to become the Deerfield High School, and the Dickinson High School building would be demolished in 1930, making way for Deerfield Academy’s new main building.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Deerfield School Controversy.” June 2, 1900. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-086/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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