Harvard Town

Harvard Town

The town of Harvard is located in the eastern part of the county and is bounded as follows : on the north by Ayer ; on the east by Littleton, Boxborough and Stow; on the south by Bolton ; and on the west by Lancaster and Shirley. This town was originally a portion of Lancaster,' and was incorporated January 29, 1732, and named in honor of John Harvard, founder of Harvard University. Portions of Groton and Stow were subsequently added to the town.

Among the early settlers were the nanfes of Houghton, Willard, Sawyer, Hutchins/ Atherton, Whitcomb and Priest. There were two garrisons here in 1704 - one at Bear Hill, for the families of John Priest (Sr. and Jr.), John Walker, Caleb Sawyer, James Atherton (Sr. and Jr.) ; and the other probably on Pine Hill, for the Willards, Athertons, Houghtons, Hutchinsea, Smiths and Hapgoods. After the white settlements the Indians roamed throughout the town, but committed no depredations and had no homes here.

Like other New England towns, one of the first movements of the people, after they had secured a Habitation and a name, was to provide for religious worship. The first preacher was Rev. John Secombe, who settled here in 1733. He remained until 1757. The church divided in 1821, and what is now known as the Orthodox Church was formed.

The Baptist Church was organized as early as 1776, and doubtless services of this denomination had been held previous to that time. The first pastor was Rev. Isaiah Parker, D.D.

The "Shakers" have a large property in the northeastern part of the town. They are an industrious, frug.al and enterprising people. "They have a neat village and a tract of finely-cultivated and productive land."

The town has always manifested a deep interest in schools. The Bromfield School was founded in 1877 by Mrs. Margaret Bromfield Blanchard, widow of Ira Blanchard, former pastor of the Unitarian Church. The school was organized September 17, 1878, with Charles W. Stickney as principal. Mrs. Blanchard left about one hundred thousand dollars for the founding of this school. The school has several thousand dollars' worth of apparatus, which, besides the large endowment fund, affords facilities for the best instruction.

The Public Library building and library owe their existence to the sime spirit of benevolence that founded the Bromfield School. The library building was erected at a cost of about ten thousand dollars, all of which, except thirty-nine hundred dollars, raised by the town, was given by former citizens of Harvard. The laru-est amount was a legacy left by Mrs. Hannah W. C. Sawyer, principally from the estate of her husband, A. J. Sawyer, a citizen of Harvard. Warren Hapgood, Esq., of Boston, generously contributed twenty-six hundred dollars, and W. Channing Whitney, of Minneapolis, architect, presented the plans and specifications.

The keys were delivered by Warren H. Fairbank, chairman of the Building Committee, and accepted by Alfred A. Sawyer, chairman of the selectmen. Addresses were delivered by Warren Hapgood, Esq., and Rev. A. A. Miner, D.D., of Boston, and Rev. A. H. Barber, of Meadville, Pa.

In the French and Indian Wars and the Revolution the town did noble service. During the War of the Rebellion it responded nobly in men and means, and its record is one of old-time loyalty and patriotism. As early as April 29, 1861, it was " voted to appropriate four thousand dollars for equipping and paying a bounty to soldiers who may volunteer their services to suppress the present rebellion.''