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 Educational History
        
Nashua's school history began in 1746. Two rooms provided space to educate the first schooled children of Dunstable; One, located in a backroom of the home of resident John Searles and another in the home of a Mr. Gordon in the north end of town. The headmaster used both homes approximately 3-4 months out of the year.

The first headmaster, Joseph Dix, used to carry desks, chairs and other necessary school supplies by ox back and forth approximately 10 miles between locations. In 1775, Mr. Dix encouraged the townspeople to appropriate monies and build schoolhouses in the five districts of Dunstable.

The District 1 Schoolhouse, built in 1775, is a one-room classroom building with a large fireplace at one end. Desks line the sides of the room attached by stakes driven into the walls. Students were to sit on uneven benches while the headmaster gave lessons from a tall desk and tall stool located in the center of the room. Classes were conducted there until 1921.

Nashua third grade students gained access to the District 1 schoolhouse during the 1970's. It remains open to Nashua public school children as the 'Living History' schoolroom. Each 4th grade class makes use of the building reenacting a day of typical schooling as recorded in our history annuls.

Before the 1820's, school graduates were all of an age before today's normal high school age. During the 20's and 30's, private schools advertising in the newspaper for education post school age gained popularity for those who could afford it. The first town high school opened in 1835 named Nashua High School for Gentleman and Ladies. Soon after, two of the initial town high school staff broke off and begun schools of their own, all of which charged tuition for classes.

Daniel Abbot donated 3 acres in 1846 to build a 4-room schoolhouse in Nashville on the west side of Main Street. A fire in 1869 spurred an expansion of that building to 10 schoolrooms by 1870.

Nashua had three high schools until 1869. In 1849, Nashville built a High School at Mount Pleasant. Nashua Public High School on Main Street had its first graduating class in 1857. Built in 1853, it along with two other high schools provided Nashua's education until 1869 when the Main Street location would enroll all of Nashua's high school students.

Parochial Schools by the parishes of St. Louis de Gonzague in 1883; St. Francis Xavier in 1886; Saint Patrick in 1884; and Enfant Jesus in 1909; began the French & Irish Catholic Heritage schooling era.

The city built Spring Street High School in 1875. In 1905, Temple Street High School replaced Spring Street High School. Elm Street High School replaced Temple Street High School in 1937.

The Mount Saint Mary Academy for Girls started in 1965.

Two High Schools currently reside in the city. The Mill Pond High School (1975), now named Nashua High School South, and Nashua High School North, the 2002 educating creation, enroll the majority of Nashua’s teenage student body.



More information and photographs can be viewed in the interesting pages below.

Historic Schools - Current Schools

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