Woodbridge Grammar School - Newbury, MA

History

Newbury’s original John Woodbridge settled in Newbury in 1634 and married Marcy Dudley, daughter of Governor Thomas Dudley, in 1639. Woodbridge served as Town Clerk of Newbury from 1634 to 1638 and as Deputy to the General Court, 1639-1641. He was ordained in 1645 and in 1663, John Woodbridge became assistant pastor for the church of Newbury, which was run by his uncle, Reverend Thomas Parker.

After years of controversy concerning Parker and Woodbridge’s teachings, authority and pay, the General Court removed both men from their posts around 1672. Years later, the General Court appointed Woodbridge to associate magistrate and, later yet, assistant to the General Court. He and his wife had 12 children, among them John Woodbridge, who graduated from Harvard College and became a pastor. John Woodbridge died in 1695.

The 5,000 square foot Woodbridge School was built in 1898, and dedicated in 1899. It served the town until 1956, when the Newbury Elementary School was built on Hanover Street. Grades 1 and 2 continued to be housed at Woodbridge until the late 1990s.

Summary

In 2004, the Town of Newbury chose Arch Painting to repaint the Woodbridge School. The lead paint on the exterior surfaces was failing – it had become brittle and there was extensive cracking. Additionally, loose putty was removed and many windows were reglazed. Arch Painting performed manual paint removal to minimize job costs.  Lead paint debris was disposed of in partnership with ENPRO services, inc. of Newburyport, MA. Acrylic latex paint by Sherwin Williams^® was applied.

“We are very pleased with the work that Arch Painting did to help us to maintain our home,” said Angie Machiros, a representative from the Town of Newbury Board of Selectmen.

Sources:

History of Newbury, Massachusetts 1632-1902 by John J. Currier (1902); Annals of the American Pulpit by William Buell Sprague (1857); Massachusetts Historical Commission/Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) and Biography Resource Center by Gale Databases

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