First Day of School, McCarthy School Students, September 1974. Courtesy of the Ray Wallman Collection.
Often, ideas for our Postcard from Peabody’s Past series come from our members or recent research requests.
This week, I received a request for information on the history of the John McCarthy Memorial Elementary School, on the 20th anniversary of its re-opening. The McCarthy School has had many lives before this latest re-opening. Let’s dig in.
John Edward McCarthy was born on October 12, 1942 to Charles and Mary (Leonard) McCarthy of Newcastle Road in Peabody. His siblings were Peter, John, James, Robert and Anne. He attended the Carroll School and graduated from Peabody High School in 1961. From there, he enlisted in the Army and volunteered for the elite Special Forces, becoming a Green Beret. Staff Sgt. John E. McCarthy was killed on February 22, 1967, bravely leading a platoon of men in South Vietnam, near the Cambodian border.
At the time of his death, The Peabody Times published an article on his service, “What remains is the remembrance of why this 24-year-old sacrificed his life in the jungles and heat of Vietnam. John died for what he sincerely believed in, for what his deeds would do for Peabody, the country and, hopefully, the world.”
Less than a year later, a new elementary school was built on Lake Street, in Peabody, and it was named after Staff Sgt. John E. McCarthy. The ground was broken on November 7, 1968, and it opened to students the following year in September of 1969. It cost $1,734,364 to build. The city saved money by using the same architect and plans as they did for the Burke School.
Below are images from 50 years ago, the first day of school at the McCarthy School, September 1974. Do you recognize anyone? We do not have any specific names in our files, and we would love to add them.
First Day of School, McCarthy School Students, September 1974. Courtesy of the Ray Wallman Collection.
Pre-registration tests, McCarthy School Students, 1974. Speech Teacher, Ellen Gordon. Courtesy of the
Ray Wallman Collection.
Pre-registration tests, McCarthy School Student, 1974. Courtesy of the Ray Wallman Collection.
Pre-registration tests, McCarthy School Student, 1974. Courtesy of the Ray Wallman Collection.
In 1981, the Holocaust Center of the North Shore was founded by Peabody resident and Holocaust survivor Sonia Weitz. For many years, the Holocaust Center was housed at the McCarthy School.
In the early 2000s, the McCarthy went under a $2,000,000 renovation. At the time, it was not a permanent school. The McCarthy acted as a temporary school when other schools were under renovation, such as the Thomas Carroll School. It was also the location of pre-school classes and the site of an alternative high school. The McCarthy School has had many lives, educating Peabody’s students in many different ways.
Updated on August 30th – An earlier version stated that the McCarthy School acted as a temporary school for the Samuel Brown School. It was brought to our attention that was not the case. We have corrected the blog to reflect that this new, more accurate information.
References
Photographs are all courtesy of the Ray Wallman Collection at the Peabody Historical Society and Museum.
John Wells, The Peabody Story, 1972, page 454.
The Boston Globe, “Ask the Globe,” June 12, 1987.
The Boston Globe, “Holocaust Survivor Keeps Her Promise,” November 21, 1993.
The Boston Globe, “Student Shuffle Debated in Peabody,” December 12, 2002.
SM Smoller, “McCarthy School named for brave Soldier who died in Vietnam War,” The Salem News, 2004.
Ancestry.com, Birth Records and 1950 Census.