Student Research

The Consolidation of Neighborhood Schools into Multiple Room District Schools in Beverly, 1910-1950

Author: Andrea Lohnes

Between the years 1910 and 1950, schools throughout the nation began to switch from the one and two room schools into larger multiple room district schools. Was Beverly typical or atypical in following the nation-wide movement?

From the years between 1910 and 1960 there was a nationwide progressive education movement. This movement led to the consolidation of one and two room neighborhoods into larger multiple room district schools. Educational authorities claimed that the consolidation of these neighborhood schools would be more educationally effective.[1] Many communities agreed with this idea as the number of one-room schools dropped form approximately 200,000 to 20,000 during this time period. [2] Some rural communities in states such as Ohio, Wisconsin and Idaho opposed unification of schools, however, there were also the school systems like that of New York, whose systems were greatly influenced by this movement. Beverly’s school system was typical in relation to the rest of the country as the one-room schools in the community quickly disappeared. However, Beverly is atypical to the rest of the nation’s school systems as the switch was made not because it was desired that the schools consolidate, but because of a boom in public school enrollment.

The period between 1895 and 1919 was one of many changes. In 1895 one and two room schools were being built left and right in Beverly. During this year a new school was built in Ryal Side as well as on Prospect Hill. However, in other parts of the city, overcrowding was already becoming a problem. For example, the Pleasant View school taught fifty children, and was a school of only two rooms. As time passed this increased enrollment did not change. By 1897, at the South School, Pleasant View School and the Farms school, each room had over fifty pupils enrolled. There was not a vacant room in the city. Even the high school was having problems with overcrowding as never before in the history of the high school had there been so many students enrolled as of 1897. During this time period the overcrowding was due to two main sources, one of which was the building of the United Shoe Machine Corporation. Not only was it causing crowded rooms throughout the city, it also called for the construction of a new twelve room school near the junction of Balch and Mckay streets. Another factor that caused an increase in enrollment was child labor laws. In 1913, the child labor law extended the school age to sixteen. This had a tremendous effect on the high school enrollment.

The majority of Beverly schools made the switch from one and two room schools to multiple room schools in a short period of time. This was seen at the Ryal Side school. Ryal Side was one of the community’s quickest growing areas of the city during this time period. In 1897 there were seventy pupils in attendance at the two room Ryal Side schoolhouse. Due to this overcrowding it was proposed that the school be enlarged at once. In 1901 a new school was built in Ryal Side. This school was not only larger, but also had land available around it so that four more rooms could be added when necessary. Those four rooms were needed much sooner than anticipated as in 1909 four more rooms were added to Ryal Side. Even after the numerous additions to the school, it was not enough. In 1918 two portable classrooms were purchased in order to relieve problems of overcrowding at the school. And in the following year four more rooms as well as an assembly hall were added to this already large school.

The South School district was also a district struggling with problems of overcrowding. Luckily, the Pleasant View School, which was located very close to the South School was built so that two rooms could be added. In 1896 these rooms were added, therefore relieving the South School of its overcrowding problems. This solution was only temporary however as in 1898 there was no spare room at the South School once again. In 1903 the school committee realized it could no longer delay an addition to the South School and it was proposed that six rooms be added. In 1904 construction began but in the end only four rooms were added.

In 1897 the Farms school consisted of only one room. However, this one room consisted of fifty students, an unexceptable number. No construction occurred in the farms until 1903 when this district received a new brick eight-room building large enough to accommodate three hundred students.

The Hardie School was not suffering from overcrowding, but from dilapidation. The Hardie School was growing old and in 1898 was replaced by a new Hardie schoolhouse consisting of twelve rooms. The construction of this new school gave relief to many neighboring districts.

In 1903 the development of numerous houses on Prospect Hill was beginning to take its toll on the Prospect School. Due to the increase in population in this area four rooms were added to the school in 1904.

Another addition that helped relieve the pressure of overcrowding was the addition of a new building in the Washington district. In 1910 this school (Edwards) was opened for use.

North Beverly was yet another school that did not suffer from overcrowding, but from unsuitable conditions. In 1919 it was proposed that a new eight room be built without delay.

Even the high school was suffering from overcrowding during the time period from 1895 through 1919. By 1898 the high school had outgrown its building. In 1904 it was proposed to build a new building large enough to accommodate one thousand pupils. However, nothing was done to aid the problem at the high school and in 1918 the school was forced to hold two sessions a day in order to provide schooling to all pupils enrolled at the high school.

Even with all the construction that occurred between 1895 and 1919 there were still five schoolrooms in the system that had fifty pupils in them. Because of this the movement from one-room schools to multiple room schools continued between 1920 and 1939. In 1920 it was still evident that the Beverly Public Schools were not consolidating due to a progressive movement in education, as during this year the supreme need was more adequate and larger school facilities to fit the needs of the constantly increasing school enrollment. Overcrowding was still a major concern in Beverly as the only schools that were not overcrowded or filled to capacity were Centerville, the Farms, Prospect and South.

In 1922, due once again to unsuitable conditions and a school filled to capacity that Bass River School was taken down and the Charles S. Brown school was built in its place. Also during this time period the crowded conditions at the high school were finally relieved. In 1922, there were twelve hundred and thirty pupils in a building fit to accommodate six hundred and forty one. Thankfully, in 1924 the new High School was ready for use and was located at the present day Briscoe Middle School.

In 1926 the school system became rather optimistic as it stated in their report that “our schools are in excellent condition to take care of the normal expansion of the city for a number of years to come.”[3] The committee was right in its prediction that no construction would occur for many years, however the problems of overcrowding never ceased. The main reason that construction and additions to existing buildings was halted was due to the great depression.

The great depression had a tremendous impact on the Beverly school system. Unfortunately, in a time of sacrifice, the number of students in the system increased. This was a problem as school space was hard to find as the city was trying to conserve and help the economy in every way even if it meant giving up certain schoolhouses and consolidating them with many other schools. This in fact did happen. As a result of the depression, in 1933, the Pleasant View students were transferred to the Edwards school in order to save the expenses of heating, lighting and the janitorial service at Pleasant View. The school never reopened after the depression.

In 1935 there was still no construction underway. However, at this time there was no need of it. There were sixteen vacant rooms in the grammar schools. Problems no longer lied within the size of the schoolhouse. It dealt with where the district lines were drawn. Crowded conditions seemed to center around the High School, Briscoe, Prospect and Ryal Side Schools. This was due to the fact that these areas dealt with the sections of the city that had the highest populations.

In 1938 a change occurred in the elementary schools. Elementary school enrollments had become stabilized. The school committee once again anticipated that there should be no need for additional construction unless a trade boom or increased residential advantages attract more people to Beverly.

The period between 1940 and 1960 was the last wave of construction to be seen during the period of consolidation of neighborhood schools. School enrollment had once again turned upward and there were many schools in the city still facing problems of overcrowding. However, the majority of the overcrowding problems were a result of new housing developments being built in the city. For example, new homes under construction in the vicinity of Beverly Hospital in 1947 posed problems for the Prospect school as that was the district in which these new homes belonged. However, at this time there was no room at the school for these additional pupils, which is now being developed to relieve the housing shortage in the city.

Yet another housing development that had an effect on the school system was the construction of the Raymond Farms housing development. In 1960 the development of this large area began to effect the McKay school. Fortunately, also at this time there was a new schoolroom being built in Ryal Side that could help relieve the crowding at McKay. The construction of the new Ryal Side school was not completed until after 1960 however was a twelve room school under construction during 1960 and was being built upon Green’s Hill.

Other construction occurring during this time period was the North Beverly School. It was to be built on city property located just off Brimbal Avenue; this school was intended to house three hundred and sixty of the city’s students. The twelve-room school was not completed however until 1956.

In 1946 it was proposed that a new school be erected in order to assist in eliminating overcrowding problems due to population shifts in the past twenty years. It was decided that this school be built in an area that would accommodate pupils who live in the Cove and Montserrat areas. It was vital that the school be placed in this vicinity as the Montserrat neighborhood is located next to the cove and has never had a building of its own. It was also appropriate that the school include cove students as the cove district has seemingly outgrown its fifty five-year-old four-room wooden structure building. The old wooden building after vacated by the present students would then be used for physically handicapped and special class children.

On February 13, 1965 the students and teaching staff moved into the Cove – Montserrat school. A new twelve room elementary school that was built in order to hold three hundred and sixty pupils. Not only did this new school consist of twelve rooms, but it was also constructed so that it could provide for up to a six-room addition.

Construction was also occurring in the Centerville area. In 1959 a realization was made that there is a growing need to provide more classrooms in the Centerville district. As at this time five classes were being taught in a three-room school. In response to this observation the school committee petitioned to the mayor for fifty acres of land located at the junction of Would Lane and Hull Street.

With all the new construction occurring during this time period and with new schools located in more convenient locations it was decided in 1951 that the Prospect School should close as it was not a well-constructed school nor was it in an ideal location.

Major changes were also occurring in the middle schools during this time. In 1953 the Memorial Middle School was under construction and would be ready for occupancy in September of 1954. Plans for this school were proposed before the war but were rejected and the building of this school was long overdue. After construction at the Memorial Middle School was completed the Briscoe Junior High was remodeled in order to provide four additional classrooms.

At the end of the progressive education movement to consolidate schoolhouses the Beverly School Committee was requesting fifty acres of land on the Avery – farm site in the area of North Herrick Street for construction of a new high school. This proposal was rejected for the time being.

After reviewing the history of Beverly Public Schools it is apparent that they did in fact follow the trend of consolidation between the years of 1910 and 1960. This is also seen through different statistics and charts. Proof that the schools followed in this nation wide movement towards consolidation is seen in figure ten that displays how many rooms were added to each school, and when these rooms were added. Another example is that, in 1906 there were only eighty-three classrooms in the entire city. That number jumped to one hundred and twenty in the year of 1922 and only four years later the number increased tremendously to two hundred and thirty seven rooms. Also, in figure eleven it can be seen that the cause of consolidation made Beverly atypical to the situation as this charts shows that it was the problems of overcrowding of the schools that caused the one and two room schools to disappear and multiple room larger district schools to appear.

The school building history of the Beverly School system is interesting and constantly changing. Today, there is a new wave of construction occurring, for the same reasons that they were between the years of the progressive education movement. From this history it can be deduced that Beverly is typical of the movement only in the fact that the number of rooms increased. Beverly did not change for the benefit of the students, only to help decrease the problems of overcrowding.

References

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of Beverly, Mass. 1895. Allen Print, 1896.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of Beverly, Mass. 1896. Allen Print, 1897.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of Beverly, Mass. 1897. Allen Print, 1898.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of Beverly, Mass. 1898. Allen Print, 1899.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of Beverly, Mass. 1900. Allen Print, 1901.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1901. Allen Print, 1902.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1902. Allen Print, 1903.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1903. Allen Print, 1904.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1904. Allen Print, 1905.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1906. Allen Print, 1907.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1909. Allen Print, 1910.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1913. Beverly Printing Co., 1914.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1918. Beverly Printing Co., 1919.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1919. Beverly, Printing Co., 1920.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1920. Pioneer Press, 1921.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1922. North Shore Printing Co., 1923.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1924. North Shore Printing Co., 1925.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1926. Deschamps Bros., 1927.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1931. N.A. Lindsey & Co., Inc., 1932.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1933. N.A Lindsey & Co., Inc., 1934.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1935. N.A. Lindsey & Co., Inc., 1936.

Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1938. N.A. Lindsey & Co., Inc., 1939.

Cremin, Lawrence A. American Education: The Metropolitan Experience 1876 – 1980. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1988.

Reese, William J. The Origins of the American High School. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.

Tyack, David B. The One Best System: A History of American Urban Education. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1974.

[1] Tyack, David B. The One Best System (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1974), 26.

[2] Ibid, 25.

[3] Beverly School Committee. Annual Report of the School Committee of the City Of Beverly, Mass. 1924. (North Shore Printing Co., 1925), 252.

Italian Community Organizations and The Patria e Lavoro Society of Beverly, MA

Author: Matt Lauranzano

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Of the ethnic groups that immigrated to Beverly at the turn of the century, the Italian-Americans were the largest in number. This period saw the formation of several Italian community organizations. A major purpose of organizations such as the Patria E Lavoro Society was to help aid arriving immigrants in their struggle to become Americans. Who were the Italian Americans who founded these groups?

At the turn of the 20th-Century, Italian citizens came to the United States in droves. These, typically, unskilled laborers came to their new home only to face prejudice and poverty. One of the solutions for these characteristically social people was to set up community organizations, which would be established to help the plight of their fellow Italian immigrants. Such organization can be found in communities all along the east coast, including Beverly Massachusetts. The Patria e Lavoro Society (Work and Labor Society) of Beverly is one such society. It was established in 1912 with the “desire to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of men of Italian origin and descent residing in Beverly…”[1]This society is much like many others across the country in that it enabled its members to help themselves.

In the late Nineteenth-Century there was a great wave of Italian citizens immigrating into the United States. The first of these immigrants left from northern Italy for such reasons as: avoidance of military service, the pursuit of religious freedom, political asylum or economic opportunity. These people usually went no farther than central or western Europe. Although the living conditions in the Southern section of Italy, all areas south of Rome, were far worse those people didn’t begin to emigrate until far later. This is because these people were typically poor, conservative and ignorant, not being capable of imagining a life elsewhere. However, after the political unification of northern and southern Italy the northern exploitation of the south and the population pressure gave the southern no choice but to leave. The obvious choice of residence was the United States because of low cost to travel there and because of the higher wages.[2]

The Italian immigrants to the United States typically settled in urban areas in cities of the Middle Atlantic States and New England. Large groups also set roots in Chicago Illinois and a few areas in California. The United States Census of 1910 classified eighty percent of all Italian immigrants as urban.[3]

Characteristically, immigrants from the same village settled in the same neighborhoods in the United States. The Italian Immigrants socialized only within themselves and became self-contained.[4] They organized themselves in this way for different reasons such as: safety against prejudice and violence, their preference for a close-knit community, a remembrance of their past lives in Italy, and for employment opportunity.

It was in these conditions that Italian community organization formed across the country, including Beverly Massachusetts. Any given United States city usually had about 100 mutual aide societies each from a different province or village in Italy. However later these groups were based on ethnic background, not on native village. They came into existence because the Italian people frowned upon charitable institutions.[5] In Southern Italy the family would provide the individual with everything he might need.[6] But because the large family unit usually did not travel with the average immigrant, they set up mutual aide societies.

Thirty-Five states in the United States, in 1910, contained Italian American communities. Each community contained dozens of Italian societies. In the United States 1,116 registered societies existed; to name a few 453 in New York State, 113 in New Jersey, 147 in Pennsylvania, thirty-one in Illinois, thirty-five in Michigan, thirty-three in California and in Connecticut respectively, twenty-seven in Ohio, twenty in Texas, thirteen in Washington and seventy-two in Massachusetts, to name a few.[7]

Boston Massachusetts had quite a few societies among its population. These organizations, such as The Association for Protecting Italian Workmen and the Italian Workmen’s Association, centered around the employment and industrial aspects of Italian Immigrant lives. The latter group formed “for the purpose of ameliorating the condition of Italian workmen in the City of Boston and its vicinity and especially with the design of making an organized effort to correct the abuses under which these laborers are suffering through the padrone system…”[8]

The Padrone system mentioned is the governing of labor bosses who would greet Italian immigrants upon their arrival to the United States. These individuals would help in the search for employment, collected their wages and acted as a higher authority during disputes, often in a corrupt system.[9]

The early societies, those established before 1900, recruited its members on the basis of the native town or province from which they emigrated in Italy.[10] These early groups were small, financially unstable and short lived. Organizations “sprang up” quickly only to go bankrupt in a short amount of time. The names of these early societies were usually named for the Italian Village from whence its member emigrated or for the patron society of their village in Italy.[11] However, after a few decades, period following 1900, these small unites combined or merged. The result was larger societies with membership based on Italian heritage or decent rather than any specific village or province.[12]

The area of Italy from which the original members emigrated has yet to be determined. The members’ appearance in the 1910 Census, marriage certificates, voter registration, death certificates, and children’s birth certificates all name Italy as their place of birth but does not specify the exact location. It is also difficult to trace these members’ lives because most of them didn’t reside in Beverly at the time of their death. Only three names can be found in the Beverly Death Index, Angelo Consolazio, Casimaro Guarino, and Antonio Renzi.

It is suspected that the Society was not based on a particular area of Italy. The Society states in its preamble it is open for men of “Italian origin and decent” nowhere does it mention in its preamble or meeting minutes a particular area of Italy. Anthony Wittwicki, a present member of the Patria e Lavoro Society, recalls friendly bantering among the original members with regards to which village or province they derived. These insults, based on the differentiating areas of Italy, is a clear sign that the Patria e Lavoro Society was founded not by a group of immigrants from the same village, but rather from the same neighborhood in Beverly. In the 1910 United States Census all of the original members appear as living between 137 and 276 Rantoul Street with the exception of two members living on Park and Federal Streets, streets off of Rantoul.

It is likely that the majority of the Patria e Lavoro members came from Southern Italy. Not only did most of them arrive in Beverly at the same time as most Southern Italians immigrated, but they are all blue collar workers as Southern Italians typically are. Antonio Renzi, the first Vice-Recording Secretary was born in San Giovanni Italy. This community, in southern Italy, is above what would be considered the “heel” of the country of Italy.

Mutual aide societies, such as the Patria e Lavoro, provided its members with benefits that otherwise would have been unavailable. The organization also offered activities of a social nature for its members.[13] One tenth of the Italian population belonged to such organizations in 1900, the percentage of the heads of households being far greater. The societies protected members and their families who might have fallen victim to industrial accidents, sickness or death. The goal of the Patria e Lavoro Society, as stated in its Preamble, was to improve the lives of its members in a moral and financial way.

The leadership of the Italian societies is a major characteristic. Most societies formed and dissolved following the rise and fall of jealousies and the private interests of its presidents or high-ranking officers.[14] The Patria e Lavoro Society didn’t fall victim to this trend as it has been in existence for the past eighty-eight years.

It is an Italian trait to be reluctant to take a leader-follower, or in this case an officer-member, role. This is because it would detract from the individuality function of the group. Thus only a highly charismatic and successful leader would be able to attract follower and retain his position.[15] The Patria e Lavoro had such a leader in Gaetano Izzo. By investigating the Beverly City Directory of 1912 one can see that Izzo had the highest skilled working class occupation, hairdresser. He purchased a half page add, the biggest of any member advertising their small business, boasting the finest equipment in the City of Beverly.[16] Enigmatic looking individual seems to have own technologically advanced machinery and his large add points to a thriving business.

Italian leaders, those who were successful in business, often joined business, trade and other community associations. High-ranking member of the Patria e Lavoro Society were no exception to this trend. Antonio Renzi, a founder and charter member, also belonged to the Beverly lodge of Elks and the Mason and Bricklayers Union.[17] Angelo Consolazio and Casimero Guarino, both founding members, held membership in the Gabrielle D’Annunzio Lodge, Sons of Italy18 and the Italian Republican Club of Beverly, respectively.[18] Others joined the chamber of commerce, the Kiwanis, or the Knights of Columbus. Many Italian society leaders were appointed to serve on welfare boards because they had an interest in the well-being of less fortunate Italian Americans as seen in their involvement with Italian organizations. Such individuals were expected to donate time and money, because of their higher socio-economic bracket, in the advancement of the common cause. The majority of these men had little education but worked their way up the ladder with hard work, determination and shrewd common sense.[19] Patria e Lavoro officials held similar occupational backgrounds as seen in the 1912 City Directory, they held jobs such as hairdresser, bricklayer, carpenter, shoe repairer, barbers, and grocer.

Today the Patria e Lavoro Society allows its members to keep in touch with their routes. Although the society doesn’t need to provide its members with life insurance and sick benefits it does continue with a few activities. Once a month on Sunday mornings the members gather at the Italian Community Center on Rantoul Street in Beverly. There they are greeted with Italian cookies, Uncle Toms Whiskey, coffee and a fraternal hand. They continue to serve the City’s poor by sponsoring dinners and have had a scholarship for high school seniors. The scholarship and dinners are available to all although to be an officer a member must have an Italian surname. The Patria e Lavoro Society is still in existence and contributing to the citizens of Beverly because of the proud, intelligent and hardworking members from 1912 to the present day.

[1] Preamble of the Patria e Lavoro Society of Beverly Massachusetts

[2] Thomas Sowell. Ethnic America (New York: Basic Books Inc., 1981), p.101

[3] Alexander DeConde. Half Bitter, Half Sweet (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971), p. 89.

[4] Thomas Sowell. Ethnic America (New York: Basic Books Inc., 1981), p.110.

[5] Patrick Gallo. Old Bread, New Wine (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1981), p.53.

[6] Paul J Campisi, “Ethnic Family Patterns: The Italian Family In The United States” American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 53 (1948), pp. 444.

[7] Patrick Gallo. Old Bread, New Wine (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1981), p. 51.

[8] Gaettano Conte. Societies for the Protection of Italian Immigrants, p.8

[9] John Higham. Ethnic Leadership in America (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978), p. 8.

[10] Harvard Encyclopedia of Ethnic Studies (Boston: Harvard University Press, 1984), p. 8.

[11] Thomas Sowell. Ethnic America (New York: Basic Books Inc., 1981), p. 111.

[12] Harvard Encyclopedia of Ethnic Studies (Boston: Harvard University Press, 1984), p. 8.

[13] Patrick Gallo. Old Bread, New Wine (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1981), p. 51.

[14] Patrick Gallo. Old Bread, New Wine (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1981), p. 52.

[15] Ibid, p. 52.

[16] Beverly City Directory 1912, p. 55.

[17] “Obituary: Antonio Renzi”. Beverly Times. October 20, 1974, p. 6.

[18] “Obituary: Casimaro Guarino”. Beverly Times. May 29, 1940, p. 3.

[19] Lawrence Pisani. The Italian American (New York: Exposition Press Inc., 1957), p. 107.

Swedish Churches in Beverly, 1900-1920

Author: Alaina Walsh

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During a period of growth in Beverly during the early 1900s and 1920s (a period of heavy immigration in the United States), a number of Swedish churches emerged. Who originally founded these churches? Where were they? What happened to them?

The growth of Swedish churches in Beverly during the early 1900s and 1920s coincided with a period of heavy immigration in the United States. While immigrants were coming into a new country, they were also entering a land with new surroundings and people that were not as welcoming as they may have hoped. These immigrants had left their homes, families, and everything known to them as “life” in order to settle in this new country of freedom and opportunity. Despite all the opportunities and appealing aspects of America, it was still a strange place that immigrants were now forced to consider “home”. At this point in time, immigrants were no longer able to rely on familiarities such as homes, friends, families and jobs. With nothing recognizable to depend on, many immigrants turned to religion as a form of security. “Individuals who had adapted to commercial agriculture of Europe (and Sweden), seized unskilled jobs in American factories, or identified openings for entrepreneurial ventures, but when it came to religion many scholars found those same individuals huddled together, as their ancestors before them- seeking solace in a strange, new land.”[1] The building and organization of churches at this time gave immigrants a place of belonging as well as somewhere to share their faith and seemingly deserted cultures.

Swedes did not begin to arrive in the United States until the nineteenth century. Between 1869 and 1920 more than one million Swedes came to America, and at the peak of immigration in the 1880s, an average of 37,000 Swedes came to the United States each year”.[2] Swedish immigrants settled in every part of the country except the southeastern states bordering on the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Due to poor local economic conditions in Sweden as well as the luring availability of cheap land in the American west, the United States was seen as a prosperous place for all.[3] Reasons for immigration also included religious unrest and the lack of freedom of expression and beliefs in Sweden at this time. An example of the oppression and rejection of many Swedish immigrants is the opposition that the State church of Sweden had against the emigration of Lutheran Swedes. The State church paid no attention to the spiritual needs of the emigrants coming in, and left them with no support in their struggles to successfully settle. With this rejection, all the new religious groups from Sweden adopted a general American pattern including the formations of Sunday schools and other social engineering institutions. They made their churches the center for social and educational activities as well as for worship. Author and historian Percie Hillbrand noted that in some instances even the liturgy was changed within some of the rejected churches. This struggle for independence and freedom seemed to inspire the Swedish immigrants rather than discourage them.[4]

There were Swedish churches and organizations formed as immigration into America continued. The churches included the Swedish Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist and Congregational churches. In Beverly we had Swedish founded groups such as churches, bible readings, and societies. While there was definitely a reliance on religious structures during times of heavy immigration and settlement, there is still just limited information on these associations and where they went as time progressed.

Between the years 1900 and 1920, Beverly’s Newspapers and the Beverly City Directories contained listings of Swedish founded organizations. Some did not have their own building locations, and the location or dates these organizations appeared differed between the newspapers and the directories. When going through the microfilm, I viewed all the religious sections of the Beverly News papers: Beverly’s Morning Citizen from 1900-1918, and the Beverly Times from 1919-1920. The beginning years did not list any Swedish churches or Swedish organizations and the first mention of any Swedish correlated group was on December 3, 1904 when the “Swedish Mission” appeared in the Morning Citizen . The Swedish Mission held services every Sunday evening at a building called Burham Hall.[5] It was not yet an independent church, and although it only met once a week, the Swedish Mission still earned recognition in the newspaper. This was very notable considering the lack of Swedish establishment at this point in time. Churches and religious organizations had their own section and at first were found under the title “Church and Vestry”. These listings also gave sub-titles for the different religious organizations, which showed their locations, pastor names and the times of the different services and meetings. On Friday August 30, 1901, the title “Church and Vestry” was changed to “Church and Chapel”, yet the churches and their names remained the same.[6] On Saturday December 21, 1907, Swedish Lutheran Bethany Church at 7 Hale Street was added to the religious listings, as well as the Swedish Congregational Church, which held services at the Washington Street Chapel rather than owning their own building to worship in .[7] Under the church listings there are little notes about the different organizations, but there is never any mention about any of the Swedish groups. These notes are titled “City Notes”, and I was unable to find one that was written on the subject of any Swedish organization. The notes that did appear weren’t always of valuable subject matter either. One example is a write-up in the Citizen on January 4, 1908, for the purpose of bringing attention to a Piano recital being held at the Baptist Chapel, and nothing more. On September 20, 1913, the Swedish Congregational Church that had formerly held sermons at the Washington Street Chapel appeared in the newspaper as it’s own church ; at the corner of Charnock Street and Pierce Avenue .

By 1909 the religious sections became harder to find, but they were now separated by small lines between all of the different groups, even under “Other Services”. These insignificant lines actually gave the organizations a better sense of identity and authority. This way they appeared more like independent establishments . Also, the City Notes under these listings were discontinued. On May 15, 1909 there was an article called Renewed Interest published about the Churches. Although it was only a small paragraph that was not very noticeable, it showed some the churches’ importance that were neglected of publicity as a regularity:

“The local churches are showing a great awakening; never before was a greater interest manifested in religion. The evening meetings at several of the churches are unusually well attended. During the past year large gains have been made by all the churches, and increasing interest is manifested. Not for many years has Beverly had such a number of workers in the cause.” [8]

There was only one article that I found associated with Swedish organizations. It is about the success of the new Bible schools being held titled Swedish Vacation Bible School Successful Season on September 8, 1932 .[9] These were the only two write-ups about Swedish religious matters in Beverly that I saw while looking through the microfilm.

Within the Beverly City Directories, the first listing of a Swedish church was in the 1906 addition: the Swedish Congregational Church on Cabot Street. The directories list when the churches were originally organized in Beverly, the different times for services and meetings, and limited members or involved faculty. In all of the listings, the pastor, treasurer, the clerk of the church, and several other officials are listed. The Swedish churches just listed the pastors. [10] After the Swedish Congregational church at 10 Charnock Street appeared in the 1913 directory, the following years list new Swedish organizations such as the Swedish Lutheran church, the Ladies Aid society, and the Swedish founded VASA lodge society.[11] There are many differences in the newspaper’s listings and the directory’s listing, including address changes, title differences, and even missing organizations.

Although none of the church buildings subsist any longer for the same purpose, or in the same location, the congregations and services may still exist and can be found at different locations. The Swedish Congregational Church of Beverly is the only church that I could find remaining information on as well as a continuing faith. Now located in West Peabody as the Covenant Congregational Church, you can find old church records of the Church that was once located on the corner of Charnock and Pierce avenue in the achieves of it’s new location, and from members still associated with the church today. Beverly’s Swedish Congregational Church was founded in 1905 with the help of the Lynn Johnson Street Covenant Church, which was founded in 1888. The Johnson street church was founded by “Swedish Immigrants who felt the need for fellowship, worship and prayer in their own language.”[12]

After the construction of Beverly’s Swedish Congregational Church, the main problem that remained for the congregation was the payments it now faced. The records of the Church Secretary are filled with long and involved discussions regarding mortgages and loans that were considered in order to pay for the Church. Difficulties were encountered even before completing the Church, like the plumbing strike in 1915, which prevented the installation of plumbing. In April 1916, the treasures report noted that the church had paid $4,277.87, and that there was still a 5,755.12 debt to be paid.[13] Also, in another church document there’s note of a lack of funds to pay for the church basement , as well as a period in time, from June 1935 to November 1936 when the church was without a regular pastor and was forced to unite with the church in Pigeon Cove, which was 20 miles away.[14] Beverly’s church had financial problems from the beginning, and it was these problems that would later come back to haunt them in the end.

As time went on and the growth of the church subsided, Beverly’s church progressively became smaller, therefore losing more and more money. With a Swedish name, people thought that you had to be Swedish in order to join the church, so fewer people were joining. In 1928, one member suggested a series of meetings to be held in discussing use of the English language within the church, but the congregation decided against it the use of this “foreign” language. The members argued about the use of the English language in the church: one side arguing that as a Swedish congregation the church “ought to determine to use the native tongue as much as possible”, and the other group argued that “it is jut a question of time, and that we are far behind the congregations in the West in this matter”.[15] By February 1934, English was being used in all morning services. Unfortunately, the churches’ slow attempt to convert to the English language still affected the number of new members coming in. For the purpose of emphasizing that one did not have to be Swedish in order to gain membership into the church, Beverly legally changed the name of their church from The Swedish Congregational Church of Beverly to the Covenant Congregational Church of Beverly on June 2, 1944.

While fewer people were joining, the church was progressively losing more members at the same time. The parents and grandparents that had once founded and built the church were dying, and their children were either moving or converting due to different interests. In short, members were leaving but none were joining. For the same reasons Lynn was gradually losing members and funds as well, and with the church located in the inner city as Lynn became larger, more and more people were moving away from the church towards the suburbs. In 1968 the two churches met to discuss the possibility of forming a joined church . On November 20, 1968 they voted to consolidate.[16] The two churches were now searching for a new location between Beverly and Lynn where there were new homes being built as well. Members of both churches would walk for miles in search for the “perfect” location. Finally an old farmhouse with sufficient land was found in West Peabody. The land was owned by a schoolteacher who was at first unwilling to sell the property her parents and grandparents had formerly owned. Luckily, after discovering that the land was being purchased for the purpose of building a new, much needed church, the ‘nice” women agreed to sell.[17]

The Community Covenant Church was founded on August 11, 1969. The first service was held in the new building on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1971, and the membership of the church, Sunday school enrollment and weekly attendance grew without a problem. Organizations such as the Retired Friends group, the Daily Vacation Bible School, and new fellowship programs were being formed and the church also began to publish a monthly newsletter: The Caller.[18] The Community Covenant church is a very successful Evangelical church to this day, and still exists in West Peabody at 33 Lake Street .

The influence of the church on Swedish immigrants in America is great both spiritually and culturally. To the immigrants it became a social institution, which helped them adjust to a new and difficult environment. Through the church, contacts were made with men and women who spoke the Swedish language and who had a similar background of experience. This helped them to succeed in their new way of life. Through the churches, colleges, Sunday schools, and church publications, the children of the immigrants were taught the languages, customs, traditions, and culture of Sweden, meanwhile adapting to a new way of life. It is the churches, colleges, seminaries, hospitals, and homes for the aged that are the lasting monuments to the faithful and dedicated pioneer laymen and preachers of the Swedish society. The 1970 census listed the total of first and second generation Swedes living in the United States as 806, 138 people, and the Swedish traditions are still held high as they continue to influence our daily lives within the society and culture of today.[19]

[1] John Bodnar. The Transplanted: A History of Immigrants in Urban America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985),

[2] Brief History of New Sweden in America < www.colonialswedes.org/History/History.html > (24 December 2001)

[3] Percie V. Hillbrand. The Swedes in America. (Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1966), 79.

[4] Ibid., 77.

[5] Morning Citizen. 3 December 1904

[6] Ibid., 30 August 1901

[7] Morning Citizen. 21 December 1907

[8] Morning Citizen. 15 May 1909

[9] Beverly Evening Times. 8 September 1932

[10] Beverly City Directory 1906

[11] Beverly City Directories 1900- 1920

[12] “Church History and Family Tree”. (Covenant Congregational Church Archives, West Peabody, MA, Photocopy).,1.

[13] Edgar Jacobson, ed. “The History of the Beverly Congregational Church” (Booklet printed for the Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration, Beverly, 1955), 3.

[14] “Church Documents, 1949”. (Covenant Congregational Church Archives, West Peabody, MA. Photocopy), 1.

[15] Edgar Jacobson, ed. “The History of the Beverly Congregational Church” (Booklet printed for the Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration, Beverly, 1955), 4-5.

[16] Joan Durkee, “Special Business Meeting” (record of meeting discussing the consolidation of Johnson Street Covenant Church of Lynn and the Covenant Congregational Church of Beverly, Beverly, MA., November 1969), 1.

[17] Joan Durkee, interviewed by author, 16 January 2001.

[18] “Church History and Family Tree” (Covenant Congregational Church Archives, West Peabody, Ma. Photocopy)., 2.

[19] Percie V. Hillbrand. The Swedes in America. (Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1966), 79.

References

Beverly City Directory, 1906.

Beverly City Directories 1900- 1920.

Beverly Evening Times. 1932. 8 September.

Beverly Inside Out: The League of Women Voters of Beverly. Beverly MA: Wilkscraft Creative Printing, 1986.

Bodnar, John. The Transplanted: A History of Immigrants in Urban America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1979.

Brief History of New Sweden in America<www.colonialswedes.org/History/History.html > (accessed 24 December 2001).

“Church Documents, 1949”. (Covenant Congregational Church Achieves, West Peabody, MA. Photocopy).

“Church History and Family Tree”. (Covenant Congregational Church Achieves, West Peabody, Ma. Photocopy).,1-2.

Diane Forsstrom, letter to author, 12 January 2001.

Durkee, Joan. “Special Business Meeting.” Record of meeting discussing the consolidation of Johnson Street Covenant Church of Lynn and the Covenant Congregational Church of Beverly, Beverly, MA., November 1969.

Durkee Joan. Telephone conversation with author, 16 January 2001.

Edgar Jacobson, ed. “The History of the Beverly Congregational Church”. Booklet printed for the Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration, Beverly Massachusetts, 1955., 3.

Fuchs, Lawrence H. The American Kaleidoscope: Race, Ethnicity, and the Civic Culture. New England: Wesleyan University Press, 1990.

Hillbrand, Percie V. The Swedes in America. Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1966.

Morning Citizen. 1904. 3 December

Morning Citizen. 1901. 30 August

Morning Citizen. 1909. 15 May

Ostergren, Robert C. A Community Transplanted. Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1988.

Stephenson, George M. The Religious Aspects of Swedish Immigration. New York: Arno Press and The New York Times, 1969.

Thernstrom, Stephan. ed. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, MA/ London England: Harvard University Press, 1980.

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