By Kate Tobiasson // History Columnist
WESTBOROUGH – Both a physician and a politician, Dr Edwin B. Harvey (1834-1913) made significant contributions to local and regional schools throughout his life. Born in rural New Hampshire, he worked for seven years as a teacher before attending Harvard Medical School, opening his medical practice at 52 West Main Street in Westborough in 1866. Known as a leading surgeon of the region, he was a councilor of the Massachusetts Medical Society for over 15 years. He continued to practice medicine until his death in 1913. Still, it wasn’t Harvey’s gift of healing that made him a remarkable citizen; it was his commitment to bettering the education of students in public schools.
Harvey’s interest in education was broad, and he thought that there was much work to be done in improving the teaching of students in Westborough. He joined the school committee in 1869, and witnessed a tremendous growth in the enrollment of students in Westborough’s Public Schools due to the changing infrastructure and population growth of the town. In 1872, he traveled throughout Europe to study educational systems, and worked to implement the lessons learned there throughout the rest of his career.
Appointed as the trustee of the State Reform School in Westborough in 1873, he spent the next six years working to monitor the education of the boys housed at the Reform School, in addition to his work on the school committee and his own medical practice. Harvey’s efforts weren’t limited to this local work; in 1884 and 1885, he was elected to the state legislature, where he introduced the free textbook bill. It was through his determination that this bill became Massachusetts law, granting all students in public schools free access to the textbooks used in the curriculum.
Like current times, the school committee faced the challenge of managing a tight budget, hiring educators, and working to find buildings that could accommodate the rapidly increasing population. As school buildings again stretched to maximum occupancy, Harvey got to work, drawing up plans for what would become known as “The Harvey School” on Phillips Street. Built in 1883 and costing about $11,000, the school was considered wonderfully modern and was a point of pride for Westborough. Built of brick, the Harvey School was steam-heated and had four large rooms, each seating fifty students. There was a separate entrance for boys and girls, and the basement housed two large exercise rooms.
Harvey served as the interim superintendent of schools from 1887 to 1890. His incredible commitment to the town, medicine, and education were clear to all who met him. A man who cared deeply about things, Harvey’s legacy depicts a man who was not afraid to voice his opinion; he believed in the importance of hard work.
One of Harvey’s contemporaries, Walter Prentice Bowers, described Harvey, saying, “In a few words, it may be said that Dr. Harvey was one of those men occasionally seen among our forebears whose will and ambitions led first to a thorough preparation for a constructive and influential life and then never departed from the pursuit of achievement. He never turned his back on an opponent, and he never cringed when facing overwhelming odds.”
There’s no doubt that Dr. Edwin B. Harvey is one of Westborough’s finest forefathers. His legacy stands proud, today, at Philips Street; officials have plans to renovate the structure to house a regional dispatch center.
