Massachusetts Schools In The Early 1900S May Shock You They Re So Different Only In Your State

School in Massachusetts has changed a lot in the past 100 years or so. At the turn of the century, many children were compelled to work in factories or mills in order to help provide for their families. When children did have the chance to attend school, classes were often focused on preparing students to transition into their expected gender roles. Many schools aimed to give even very young children a technical education that would enable them to join the workforce as soon as possible. Check out these fascinating photographs from the past that show how very differently Massachusetts approached education only a handful of decades ago.

1. Children eating at their desks at an open-air school in Boston, dressed in heavy clothing. (1900)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

2. Immigrant children attending Washington School in Boston. (1909)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

3. Immigrant children attending night school in Boston. Many of these children would not have had the luxury of attending class during working hours.(1909)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

4. Pupils and the teacher of the Steamer Class in the Washington School, Boston. (1909)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

5. Drawing class at Dimond School in Fall River (1916)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

6. A young truant hanging around boats in the harbor during school hours. Boston. (1909)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

7. Learning to embroider in a free evening school in Boston. (1909)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

8. Immigrant children learning to play on the roof garden of the Washington School in Boston. (1915)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

9. High school students (between 14 and 16 years old) heading off to the Watson School in Flint Village, Fall River. (1916)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

10. Girls working at mangle in Bonanno Laundry at 12 Foster Wharf, Boston. All are 15 years old and go to continuation school. (1917)

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

11. Art class at the beach. Provincetown’s reputation as an art center provided ample interest and income for several local art schools. (1937)

Yale Photogrammer/Edwin Rosskam

12. Children in the tenement district of Brockton. These little ones are out of class during school hours. (1940)

Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano

13. A single-room schoolhouse in the Savoy Mountains. (1941)

Yale Photogrammer/John Collier

14. This stove would have provided heat for the entire one-room schoolhouse in Savoy Mountains. (1941)

Yale Photogrammer/John Collier

15. A class of youngsters in a Roman Catholic Portuguese school in New Bedford. (1942)

Yale Photogrammar/John Collier

16. That. Wimple. (1942)

Yale Photogrammar/John Collier

17. Manuel Marcio’s daughter attending business class in high school in New Bedford. (1942)

Yale Photogrammer/

18, Having a morning chat on the high school steps in New Bedford. (1942)

Yale Photogrammar/John Collier

We’ve come a long way from embroidery class and outdoor homeroom. Do you have any interesting memories of Massachusetts school days gone by?

Library of Congress/Lewis Hine

Yale Photogrammer/Edwin Rosskam

Yale Photogrammer/Jack Delano

Yale Photogrammer/John Collier

Yale Photogrammar/John Collier

Yale Photogrammer/

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.