Lynn English High School

What if a building could whisper tales of triumph and resilience? Lynn English High School, standing proudly on Goodridge Street, does just that. This isn’t just a school. It’s a living testament to the dreams and struggles of generations. Lynn English High School opened its doors to students in 1892 on Essex Street, initially designed to prepare working-class students for the workforce. The original structure was a marvel, the largest non-factory building in Lynn, complete with sixty classrooms, labs, and an assembly hall. It even made headlines in 1893 for being the first American public school to offer Spanish. The school expanded in 1914 and added a gymnasium in 1916. Tragedy struck in 1924 when a fire ravaged the Essex Street building, causing extensive damage and claiming the life of a firefighter. From the ashes of that devastating fire, Lynn English High School was reborn in 1931 at its current location on Goodridge Street. The new building, an architectural marvel shaped like an “E”, cost a staggering $1,800,000. Almost lost to a proposed name change to Eastern Senior High School, the alumni association rallied, holding a parade of over 2,000 people to retain the cherished Lynn English name. Within these walls resides the Lincoln Foyer, home to a life-size statue of Abraham Lincoln, donated by the class of 1934. For decades, a Lynn English teacher, Ruth Hatch, possessed Lincoln’s very boots worn the night of his assassination, allowing students to try them on before donating them to the National Park Service in 1947. Lynn English High School boasts a rich history of achievement. Its Marine Corps JROTC program has been consistently recognized nationally, even winning the National High School Drill Team Championships. The school itself earned accolades, being named to the U.S. News & World Report’s Best High Schools in America list in 2008 and voted the best Low Income Academic School in Massachusetts by Businessweek Magazine in 2009. More recently, the boys’ basketball team secured back-to-back Massachusetts Division 1 State Championships in 2019 and 2020, adding another layer of triumph to the school’s legacy. Lynn English High School isn’t just bricks and mortar. It’s the echo of Spanish lessons first offered in 1893, the resilience of a community that rebuilt from ashes, the pride of a name fiercely protected. It’s the stories whispered by the Lincoln statue, the memory of a teacher sharing a piece of history with her students, and the roar of the crowd cheering their championship basketball team. This is Lynn English High School, a place where history and the future collide.