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The West End schoolhouse.
THE month of April, 1829, was the time when the first West Medford schoolhouse was built—the humble predecessor of the
Brooks schoolhouses—of which name there have been three.
Frederic Kendall was its builder.
In constructing it, he deserved commendation for the despatch with which he performed his work, as did also the committee who had the work in charge and employed him.
They were
John Angier, Jonathan Brooks, and
Noah Johnson, and were authorized by the town in the March meeting of that year.
The selectmen were equally prompt in paying
Mr. Kendall for his work, as on May 10 they ordered the treasurer so to do. Three hundred and eighty-five dollars paid the bill, and twenty dollars more was received by
Mr. Brooks for the land.
This was on the southwesterly side of Woburn street, in the corner of the
Jonathan Brooks estate, adjoining
John Bishop's land, where
F. A. Oxnard now resides, and was nearly opposite the
Sarah Fuller Home.
It was then deemed a central location for the
West End, which then included the southerly edge of the present town of
Winchester, once set off from
Charlestown to
Medford, and known as
Symmes' Corner.
Later, there was a school maintained in a dwelling house in that locality.
The lot was irregular in shape, and so small that the building must have been placed with its side toward the road.
Somewhere near by, or on the land, there was a well which
John Howe in the following September was paid for cleansing.
Within three years from its erection, after much discussion in town meeting,
Nathan Adams, Nathan Wait and
Noah Johnson attended to its removal to the town's land on Canal lane, near the
Medford Almshouse (which was built in 1812), and nearer to
Capt. Joseph Wyatt's house on High street. Nearby was
