Today’s illustration shows a school building at the corner of Thetford Avenue and Evans Street. The portrait photograph is a picture of Robert Swan.
The City built a primary school at the corner of Thetford Avenue and Evans Street between 1882 and 1884. The building does not appear in the atlas for 1882 but does in 1884. The school was abandoned in1952, and it caught fire in 1954. There is now a playground on the site.
Known for years as the Thetford Avenue School, the school was renamed in 1910 to become the Robert Swan School, in honor of the long-time master of the Winthrop School. Robert Swan lived on Meeting House Hill and was master of the Winthrop School.
The following is from Special to The New York Times, June 3, 1902:
Boston, June 2.—Robert Swan, the oldest Principal of a Boston school, died at midnight at his home in Dorchester. He attended as usual to the routine duties of his school throughout last week. Shortly after 10 o’clock last evening he experienced difficulty in breathing,. A physician was at once summoned, but Mr. Swan died within two hours. He was born in Dorchester, Nov. 28, 1821. He received his education in the local schools, and in 1837, before he had completed his studies, became an instructor. He was promoted in September, 1856, to be master of the Winthrop School on Tremont Street. Here he had remained since.