To spot the B.M.C. Durfee High School, look high up the hill for a majestic stone building with a tall clock tower and lots of big, arched windows-its gray granite walls and distinctive red-topped dome stand out against the sky.
Welcome to one of Fall River’s grandest old landmarks! Imagine you’re standing here in the late 1800s. The air is buzzing with excitement as workers haul blocks of rugged gray granite from the hills of Fall River for the first story, and paler stones from way up in New Hampshire for the upper floors. Wealthy Mary B. Young, in a gesture of motherly love and grand generosity, is making sure this building rises as a shining tribute to her son, Bradford Matthew Chaloner Durfee-who left this world too young, but whose name would be remembered by generations.
Picture the townsfolk gathering for the big dedication ceremony in June 1887. Some say you could hear the sound of the bells echoing down the hill and the mayor trying not to trip over his speech notes. Designed by the famous Boston architect George A. Clough, this high school towered over the city, watching over the busy lives below. From this perch at the top of the hill-the “Highlands”-students became known as the “Durfee Hilltoppers.” I’d say they had a pretty good view for daydreaming, wouldn’t you?
The school served thousands of students until 1978, when a shiny, modern building opened elsewhere in the city. For years, these halls were quiet-almost as if the building was snoozing, waiting for someone to whisper, “Class is back in session.” Then, in the 1990s, it was transformed again-no longer with chalk and blackboards, but with judges, lawyers, and family tales. Today, it’s a courthouse, but it’s also home to a hidden gem: a rare 19th-century telescope! Imagine, a four-foot-long telescope with an eight-inch lens, peering out into the stars. After gathering dust for decades, it was lovingly restored-now it hosts public stargazing nights. From science to sports, drama to drama court cases, this building has seen it all! And if you listen closely, maybe you’ll hear the cheers of those Durfee Hilltoppers echoing up from the past.
