DRACUT MA

DRACUT MA

Dracut Jr. High School Grounds

Built - 1985

The town of Dracut has a rich history and boasts being the area that housed the first thread mill in America. Its residents also hold a place in history since it is reported that the town sent the largest percentage of its people into the American Revolution of any of the 13 colonies, with 439 of its 1,173 citizens fighting for the country's freedom in locations in Lexington, Bunker Hill, Saratoga and Valley Forge. It is also known that a Dracut soldier ws the first casualty of the Civil War. During the Spanish-American War, Dracut resident, Admiral Joseph Giles Eaton, commanded the American ship Resolute.

Several other people of Dracut also made a definite impact on our country and the world. The most prominent of these residents was Moses Greeley Parker who photographed the first electrical current and invented the individual-number telephone directory system.

In the late 1800s and 1900s, Dracut was known as the entertainment mecca of America where people traveled from Boston and beyond to Lakeview Park which was the sight of an historic carousel, roller coaster, theatre and a ballroom where great dance bands played on the shore of the Mascuppic Lake.

Fortunately, concerts live on in Dracut's Victorian-style bandstand on the grounds directly in front of their junior high school. Not only do the residents enjoy their summer concerts, but the bandstand also serves other important functions now such as being the platform where the school's diplomas are handed out at the end of the school year and for other town functions. This very important structure is Dracut's first bandstand and was built in 1985 by the Dracut Senior High School Industrial Arts Department and was financed by the school department. It was designed to mirror the style of the previous Lakeview Park which had stood on these same grounds for many years prior to the building of the Dracut Junior High School.

The town of Dracut built their bandstand through the efforts of the Dracut High School Principal Bruce Hutchins and the Director of Music, Maurice Pepin, since they felt that it would be a great idea for outdoor concerts and other community events which it has definitely become. Upon completion, the bandstand's dedication was attended by a few members of the community who wholly supported this endeavor.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
Andrew Graham
Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds