Cushing Academy, founded as a coeducational boarding school in 1865, exists for students, their academic growth and their personal development. We are dedicated to educating the mind, shaping the character, and nurturing the creativity of young men and women. In a community that is academically and culturally diverse, we challenge each individual, support excellence in every aspect of the learning process, and promote active participation in all areas of life and learning. We offer a demanding college preparatory curriculum, teach skills that build confidence, and instill values that endure.
For many of us, identifying some of the basic facts of Cushing’s history is easy. For example, the school was chartered in 1865, and it was coeducational from the start. But what precipitated this charter? How did this school on the hill come to be, and who decided it would be so? Whether you know the answers, have a faint idea, or are completely perplexed, let us take you back in time and get you up to speed.
The year is 1850, and Thomas Parkman Cushing has drafted his last will and testament. A successful Boston merchant and Ashburnham native, Cushing bequeathed to his wife and family what one would consider typical in a will such as money, securities, and valuables. Following seventeen items of directing personal assets, Cushing’s will makes extensive plans for the future of his Ashburnham estate.
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