Cranch School

The Cranch School of 1900 is a handsome institutional example of the Renaissance Revival style executed in brick. Sited on a sloping triangular parcel bounded by Whitwell Street (south), Glendale Avenue (northeast) and Maywood Avenue (west), it faces west in a primarily residential, turn of the century neighborhood. The site itself is largely paved to form a play area; there are no associated outbuildings. The symmetrically designed Cranch School is rectangular in plan with a projecting central entrance pavillion. It rises two stories from an uncoursed granite foundation to a hipped, slate clad roof with terra cotta cresting at the ridge. Large interior end chimney's pierce the main roof while a third rises through the entrance pavillion.

The body of the building is brick laid in a common running bond. The rusticated first story is separated from the second by a granite belt course; the second story terminates in a corbelled cornice. Windows, which are symmetrically placed and vertically aligned, have granite sills and flared, brick lintels; they generally contain 6/6 double hung sash. The school's relatively complex facade is dominated by the central entrance pavillion which projects in two parts. The centermost portion, enclosed by a hipped roof, contains four conventional windows at each story. Additionally, a pair of narrow lights containing 2/2 sash occupies the center bay of the first story. A large granite block, bearing the school's name, is located directly beneath the central windows of the second story.

Side elevations of this section contain one window at the first story and two at the second. Flanking this central section are paired, one story entrance blocks whose shed roofs con- tinue the slope of the main roof.

/Architect Albert H. Wright Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Cranch School possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and work- manship. It is significant as a well: designed and preserved example of early 20th century institutional architecture in Quincy and as a refhection of intensive civic growth at that time. Thus, the Cranch School meets Criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places. The Cranch School was completed and transferred from the Commissioner of Public Works to the School Department on January 5, 1901. It opened two days later with 200 pupilsfrom grades 1-6; grades 7-8 were added to the school population during the next two years.

The school was named for the Honorable Richard Cranch, the 18th century owner of the land on which it stands. Richard Cranch (1726-1811) was a prominent citizen who served as a Representative to the General Court, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and as the town's first postmaster. The Cranch School was erected in a growing residential neighborhood just west of the city's commercial and civic center to alleviate overcrowding in existing schools. Following an established local pattern, the neighborhood became defined by walking distance to the school and gradually became known as Cranch Hill.cor The Cranch School became part of the nationally known and much emulated Quincy Public School System, developed by Francis D. Parker, the superintendent of Quincy Public Schools from 1875-1880.

Based on a study of contemporary education methods in Germany, Parker's system emphasized learning as an enjoyable experience during which practical and useful skills could be acquired.