Joshua Eaton Elementary School facts for kids
The Joshua Eaton Elementary School is one of five elementary schools located in Reading, Massachusetts. It's named after Sgt. Joshua Eaton, who was the only person from Reading to lose his life during the American Revolutionary War. The school stands near where Joshua Eaton's family home used to be, at the corner of Summer Avenue and Oak Street.
A School for Reading's Children
In 1944, an expert named Dr. William K. Wilson studied Reading's school system. He suggested that a new elementary school was needed in a specific area of town. His idea was for this new school to hold about 500 students from kindergarten through sixth grade.
Opening Its Doors
The Joshua Eaton Elementary School officially opened in 1949. When it first welcomed students, it taught grades 1 through 6. Today, the school is home to around 450 children, from kindergarten up to fifth grade.
Award-Winning Design
The school building was designed by a local architect from Reading named George Sidebottom. The original building had 18 classrooms, an auditorium for performances, a cafeteria for meals, and a gymnasium for sports. At the time it was built, Joshua Eaton School was chosen as the best-designed elementary school building in the entire nation! Imagine, 38,000 different building plans were submitted, and this one was picked as the best. The school was officially dedicated in a special ceremony on Sunday, October 23, 1949.
