Girls' High School - 0403002067b - City of Boston Archives

Girls' High School was a high school that was located in

Roxbury, Boston Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts. Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for n ...

. It was founded in 1852 by a group including Dr. LeBaron Russell. It was initially located above a public library in the former Adams schoolhouse on Mason Street. In 1869, construction began for a purpose-built school building, located on Newton Street between Tremont and Shawmut Avenue. That building was designed for just under 1000 students, with 8 classrooms, 15 recitation rooms, 3 studios, chemical, physical, and botanical laboratories, and a hall, as well as facilities dedicated to the Girls' Latin School. This building was formally dedicated on April 19, 1871. By 1903, the high school's share of this space was described as insufficient in the

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

. The school became coeducational in the latter half of the 20th century. By spring 1974, the school housed 500 female students and 200 male students. That spring, the Boston School Committee voted to change the school's name to Roxbury High School. This name was the most popular among petitioning students. Roxbury High closed in 1981

Notable alumnae

* Jennie Loitman Barron, attorney and judge (Class of 1907) *

Marcella Boveri Marcella Boveri (née O'Grady; October 7, 1863 – October 24, 1950) was an American biologist. She was married to the German biologist Theodor Boveri (1862–1915). Their daughter Margret Boveri (1900–1975) became one of the best-known post-wa ...

, biologist and first woman to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology * Melnea Cass, civil rights activist *

Wilhelmina Marguerita Crosson Wilhelmina Marguerita Crosson (April 26, 1900 – May 28, 1991) was an educator and school administrator known for her innovative teaching methods. One of the first African-American female schoolteachers in Boston, she developed the city's fir ...

, educator * Mildred Davenport, dancer and dance instructor *

Margaret Foley Margaret E. Foley (1827–1877) was an American sculptor who worked in a Neoclassical style. In addition to sculpture, she is known for cameo carving, medallion portraits, and direct carving. Early years Foley was born in northern Vermont in ...

, labor activist, suffragist, and social worker * Jessie G. Garnett, first African-American woman dentist in Boston *

Pauline Hopkins Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins (1859 – August 13, 1930) was an American novelist, journalist, playwright, historian, and editor. She is considered a pioneer in her use of the romantic novel to explore social and racial themes, as demonstrated ...

, novelist, journalist, playwright, historian, and editor * Lillian A. Lewis, journalist * Vera Mikol, journalist *

Ruth Roman Ruth Roman (born Norma Roman; December 22, 1922 – September 9, 1999) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. After playing stage roles on the east coast, Roman relocated to Hollywood to pursue a career in films. She appeare ...

, American actress * Helen C. White, professor of English at

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

(Class of 1913)

Heads of school

* Loring Lothrop, 1852-1856 * William Seavey, 1856-1868 * Ephraim Hunt, 1868-1872 * Samuel Eliot, 1872-1876 *

Homer Sprague Homer Baxter Sprague (October 19, 1829 – March 23, 1918) was an American author, educator, abolitionist, and Lieutenant Colonel of the Union Army. A native of Sutton, Massachusetts, Sprague was a Captain of the 13th Connecticut Infantry Regiment ...

, 1876-1885 * John Tetlow, 1885-

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Girls' High School High schools in Boston Educational institutions established in 1852 Educational institutions disestablished in 1974 Public high schools in Massachusetts 1852 establishments in Massachusetts 1974 disestablishments in Massachusetts Roxbury, Boston Defunct schools in Massachusetts Defunct girls' schools in the United States