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The Brooks Academy Museum, home of the Harwich Historical Society, occupies the former Pine Grove Seminary, a Greek Revival building whose cornerstone was laid in 1844. Founded by Sidney Brooks as a private academy open to both young men and women, the school was notable for teaching subjects such as surveying and navigation. The town acquired the building in 1869, and Harwich High School was established there in 1880; it now presents the town's maritime and colonial history.
Pine Grove Seminary - Brooks Academy Museum is a museum in Harwich, Barnstable County. It is one of 16 museums documented in Barnstable County, among 6,897 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.
The site sits at 41.6854, -70.0766 near Harwich. The nearest cataloged historic site is Pine Grove Cottage (landmark), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Doane, Allison S. House, Harwich Center School, and Small, Paddock House - American House.
This record is drawn from public historical records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
Brooks Academy in Harwich Center was founded in 1844 by Sidney Brooks, who built and served as headmaster of the Pine Grove Seminary, the area's first secondary school. The Greek Revival building, designed by Brooks's cousin Luther Gifford, opened in December 1844 with about 45 students. Sold to the town in 1869, it later housed Harwich High School, and it now serves as the Brooks Academy Museum, home of the Harwich Historical Society.
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