Innovation Academy at Tyngsborough MA
On 18 November 2010 the Boston Globe in its Globe North section published photos of the Tyngsboro campus. The Marist Brothers sold the property to Wang Laboratories, who developed a Wang Institute for training engineers and clients. In 1987 Boston University set up a branch to service the local area. About 14 years ago (1996?) it was converted to a charter school, named Innovation Academy. These photos were scanned from the newspaper by the Marist College Archives. We are grateful to Maurice Bibeau who sent us the paper. Unfortunately he did not have the continuation page, so the newspaper text is limited to the two paragraphs on the first page.
The building at the right behind the 100% sign was added by either Wang or Boston University.
Fast-growing academy gives public education a private-school feel
by Steven Rosenberg, Globe Staff. Tyngsborough - The granite-and-brick building has the feel of a prep school, with strands of ivy crawling on the outside walls in the shadow of the 220-acre, mostly forested campus. While the 80,000 square-foot complex suggests and elite student body, inside is the publicly funded Innovation Academy Charter School, filled with students who have college on their mind.
Located in the former Wang Institute in Tyngsborough, the school was founded 14 years ago by Chelmsford parents who wanted more hands-on learning for their children. Since then, word has spread about its project-oriented teaching style and curriculum, which also includes independent learning programs for each student and an emphasis on public speaking.
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This photo was taken by Casimir Podlaski (1965) in the late 1980s. It shows the location of the annex added to the original Tyngsboro main building, which is obscured by the 100% participation sign in the above photo. He has loaned several other snapshots of the new buildings, but we decided not to include these here. I understand that a group is forming to develop an extended story of Tyngsboro. Casimir also saved several brochures concerning the Tygsboro property, including one published by Boston University. An excerpt follows below:
From a prospectus published in 1991 by Boston University Corporate Education Center: In order to bring courses and degree programs to as many students as possible, Metropolitan College has established several suburban campuses.
In September 1987s, the College began offering courses at the Boston University Corporate Education Center in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. Since then more than 700 students have taken advantage of this superb educational opportunity.
Boston University's Corporate Education Center is ideally equipped for education of the highest quality. Located on a 200-acre site, the center offers climate controlled classrooms and well equipped seminar rooms which allow instructors to take advantage of extensive audio and visual teaching aids. Other facilities include complete computer laboratories (with mainframe, mini, and micro systems), a comprehensive business and computer technology library, study areas, dining areas, and a 300-seat auditorium. Just thirty-five miles northwest of Boston, near the state's high-technology corridor, the center is easily accessible from Routes 128, 495 and 3.
After reading the above, Al Perrone writes:
While working in MA for a short project a few years ago I took the time to visit Tyngsboro having been a Novice there in the 1960s. The chapel was indeed secularized to my dismay. I had the privilege of playing the magnificent pipe organ on occasion. From the outside the main building looks as it always did (with the many holes that Ken Cerreta repaired from nailing up Christmas lights). Sadly I didn't have the time to wander about and look for the tailor shop where I spent many hours, the rope for the chapel bell, the onion cellar, the cannery, chicken house or the fields that served as our hockey rink or the quarry with its invisible water.
Source: Original Marists All Site
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