The Other Brown School
The house at 1 Brown St., near the entrance to Oak Hill Cemetery, has a deep and unique history in Newbury and Newburyport. Originally built as the “Town House”aka a town hall for Newbury in 1819, the building served as the site for Newbury town meetings from 1819 to 1851. In 1851, the property was annexed into the City of Newburyport.
In 1851, the English High School and the Latin High School located near the Bartlett Mall merged to form what became known as the Brown High School. The school needed a larger facility and the old Newbury Town House was remodeled. The Brown High School students relocated to their new building in 1853.
The Brown High School remained on Brown Street until 1868, when Newburyport’s high schools consolidated once again, and the students moved to the Putnam Free School at the corner of Green and High Streets. In 1881, the City of Newburyport sold the old Newbury Town House turned Brown High School building into a private residence.
The Brown High School was named after Moses Brown (1742–1827), one of Newburyport’s wealthiest residents and philanthropists. It should not be confused with the Brown School, which is currently being considered for redevelopment into senior and affordable housing. The Brown School, located at the corner of Milk and Lime Streets, educated Newburyport’s elementary-aged students from 1924 to 2014. It was named after George W. Brown (1844–1936), a longtime principal in the Newburyport school system.
The building at 1 Brown St. has undergone several transformations and looks vastly different from its original form as the Newbury Town House. First, the building was uprooted from its foundation and rotated 90° so that the length of the building now faces Brown Street. Second, the original two-story windows were replaced with smaller windows on each floor, and the belfry was removed. Later, the house was converted into a duplex with two front doors facing Brown Street, sometime before 1924. Finally, after 1980, the house was converted into its current form as a single-family residence.
Moses Brown became Newburyport’s second wealthiest person of his time through his West Indies trade. He co-founded the Institution for Savings in 1820 and owned significant real estate in Newburyport, including the land now known as Brown Square, near City Hall. He sold the land at the corner of State and Brown Streets to the residents of Newbury in 1818. Upon his death, Brown left his vast estate to his granddaughter. In his will, he donated $6,000 to Newburyport, earmarked for grammar school education. His granddaughter sold some of her inheritance to the City of Newburyport in 1844, expanding the grounds of the Brown High School. More information about Moses Brown is available on the placards in Brown Square.
The next time you walk around NBPT@3MPH, take a moment to read more about Moses Brown in Brown Square, and then venture to Oak Hill Cemetery and pass 1 Brown St. along the way.
Barb Bailey is a researcher for the Newburyport Preservation Trust. She may be reached at Barb.Bailey03@gmail.com. See the Historic House Plaque page to learn more about the program.
