History Of Chickering and Caryl Schools

In 1910, Caryl School [grades 1-6] was built in honor of  the 1st minister, Benjamin Caryl, who served as minister for 50 years in Springfield Parish [Dover]. An extension was built for Caryl School in 1931. In the same year, Dover School Committee decided to extend the grade levels, in Caryl School, to include grades 7-12. Then in 1956, Chickering School was built on Cross Street, which comprised grades K-4. Also in 1961, the School Committee decided to add a 4-wing classroom addition in Chickering School. In 1962, Caryl School became grades 5-8. A short 2 years later, in 1964, grade 4 was moved back to Caryl School , making Chickering School grades K-3 and grades 7-8 went to Dover Sherborn Regional Middle School.  Then in 1969, enrollment pressures caused Dover’s grades 7-8 to go to Dover Sherborn High School.
A terrible ten hour-blaze destroyed Caryl School on April 4,1970. It took fire fighters from 5 towns to extinguish the fire. In the same year, Caryl School’s grades 4-6 temporarily moved to Stigmatine Fathers Elm Bank property. Caryl School reopened in April 1972. Many years later, in 1994, the Town Meeting voted to send 6th graders to Dover Sherborn Regional Middle School, making Caryl School grades 3-5. Caryl School remained this way until 1999, when it was voted to build a new Chickering School to house grades K-5.  Chickering School included 30 regular classrooms, as well as rooms for music, computers, science, special education, a full sized gym, library and cafeteria/kitchen. The school was named after James H. Chickering, who was a community leader,  town selectman, and Superintendent of E.F Hodgson Company. At its opening in September of 2000, Chickering School was filled with 584 students.
Resources:
Dover Town Report 2001. Courier Corp., 2001, p. 110.
The Schoolhouse Cookbook. Kearney, NE:Cookbooks by Morris Press, 2001.
Tedesco, Paul H. Images of America: Dover. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000.
Researched and reported by: Dana and Adam