About Davis Hill Elementary School

Welcome to the Davis Hill Elementary School, of Holden, Massachusetts. Our school was completed in the summer of the year 2000 and was a joint project between the Town of Holden and the Wachusett Regional School District . Our School came out of the closing of two of Holden oldest schools, Rice and Jefferson.

"The Story Behind the Davis Hill School"

Historically, Davis Hill is the area of Holden which extend from Armington Lane northward within the borders of Highland and Wachusett Streets-Route 31. It is most likely that the land the school sits on was part of the acreage granted in 1742 to Rev. Joseph Davis, Holden's first minister. On this land, Rev. Mr. Davis built the house which stood on the southwest corner of Armington Lane and Highland Street. There are no historical records of other early buildings on the property. Rev. Joseph Davis was the son of Simon Davis, one of three members of the first Holden select Board, Chosen By the first Town meeting in 1741.

Other members of the Davis family contributed much to Holden's history. Lemuel Davis, the son of Rev. Joseph Davis built as his home the building which is now known as the Starbard Building. In Jefferson Ethan Davis owned a large farm which later became the home of the Mount Pleasant Hotel and is now the site of the Holden Hills Country Club. Major Paul Davis kept an inn for forty years in Jefferson on what is now High Street.

You can see how the Davis family contributed much to Holden's growth. Thus, it is fitting that Rice and Jefferson students join together in the new school, the Davis Hill school.

For yesterday's children Davis Hill was a learning place. Here they learned much about nature and much about friendly cooperation. they gave special names to some of the trees, they built shelters out of blow-downs, picnicked on the large flat rock, got their feet wet in Pitcher Plant Swamp on the western edge and caught frogs in the frog pond. They walked the bumpy old cart track to Quinapoxet Street or followed the wooded trail to Jefferson. This was their learning place.

This too, is your learning place. Study well here and take the joy of learning with you as you move along in years.