WHEN WE WERE NORMAL
A Historical Augmented Reality Walking Tour
Father and Sons Building the College
LOCATION: FIRST FLOOR NEAR THE STAIRWELL
On campus was once a pair of buildings - one designed by the father and the other designed by his sons.
The father, Henry Martyn Francis was a well-known architect in Fitchburg. During the late 1800s and early 1900s he designed and oversaw the construction of many buildings throughout New England from churches and fine homes to train depots and school houses. Francis developed a reputation of turning out beautiful pieces of architecture especially adept at referencing and blending older architectural styles.
Some of Francis’ work in Fitchburg include the Academy Street School (1869), Fitchburg Art Museum (1885), School Street School (1890), YMCA (1894), and the second Fitchburg High School (1895; burned down in 1934). After establishing himself as a great architect, he brought his sons, Frederick and Albert, into the business. They took over the firm when Henry died in 1908.
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H.M. Francis’s long list of great public buildings included Edgerly Hall built on Fitchburg State’s campus in 1901. Frederick and Albert Francis later won the contract to design Palmer Hall. Construction began in 1913 and was completed in 1916.
While both buildings became part of the architectural heritage of Fitchburg, both had significant construction issues. Edgerly was a dangerous fire hazard which took decades to eventually renovate. Palmer required a complete electrical rewiring.
In 1973 Palmer Hall was demolished to make room for a new library and campus center. After the new women’s dormitory, Aubuchon Hall, opened and with little buildable land left on campus, Palmer had to go.
While Fitchburg State looked like a part of the rest of the city for most of its history, when Palmer was destroyed and Hammond built, the college seemed to chart a future distinct from the city that raised it. Much like the Francis sons heading off on their own, Fitchburg State separated itself from the rest of the city.