Margaret B. Blanchard

Margaret Bromfield Pearson Blanchard is best remembered as the founder of the Bromfield School, a secondary school that encouraged education for young women as well as young men. The Bromfield School, opened in 1878, was the fulfillment of a longstanding dream, and it brought together Margaret’s love of Harvard and her passion for education. Before then anyone aspiring to a college education had to enroll in one of the academies in Groton.

Born in Cambridge in 1787, Margaret spent time as a child visiting her grandfather’s home in Harvard. Col. Henry Bromfield was one of the town’s earliest and most notable residents. His mansion burned in 1855, and the  Bromfield School was built on its site and later became part of the new  Harvard Public Library.

At the age of 38, Margaret married Rev. Ira Blanchard, pastor of the First Unitarian Society in Harvard. They left Harvard to travel in search of a mild climate for his poor health. When he died, Margaret returned to Harvard at the age of 62. At that time, her brother Henry and his wife were living in the old mansion. With bequests she had received from relatives, Margaret was able to build a lovely house at 35 Oak Hill Road, where, from her second floor sitting room, she could see her grandfather’s house and beyond to the pond.

Margaret viewed her inherited money as a sacred trust, deposited temporarily in her hands to be used for the common good. When the Bromfield mansion burned, Margaret purchased the site of the old homestead and six acres, with the thought that it would be a perfect place for a school. She and her brother Henry had often talked about building a secondary school in Harvard as a tribute to their grandfather. In her will she provided land and money to build a school, and in 1878 the Bromfield School opened.

(#8 on the Center Cemetery Tour map)