ABOUT THE COTTING
HISTORY PROJECT

1893

Concerned that children with physical disabilities were not receiving an education in the public schools, Dr. Edward H. Bradford and Dr. Augustus Thorndike, both orthopedic surgeons at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, founded the first private, free day school for children with physical disabilities in America. The school was originally named the Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children. The School’s name changes over the years reflect the evolving attitudes toward disabilities and shifts in the School’s curriculum, especially its move from extensive vocational training to a more comprehensive program.

When Cultural and architectural barriers limiting access for students with disabilities, Cotting School was called on to meet the educational and therapeutic needs of children in metropolitan Boston. In the early years, the school served students with polio or Potts Disease or young children injured in factories prior to child labor laws.

1900

In 1900, a committee of the Board was instructed to negotiate the purchase of a lot of land on St. Botolph Street in Boston at a price not to exceed $2.50 per square foot. From 1892 to 1913, Children’s Hospital was located on Huntington Avenue, a short walk from the school.

1904

Under the leadership of Board President Francis Cotting, the School opened a new building at 241 St. Botolph Street in Boston. In a decade, the School had grown to eight teachers, with the capacity for 150 students, and an annual budget that was ten times the original amount. From its earliest years, the School day balanced academic lessons, industrial training, and enrichment activities. Medical care was provided by a visiting nurse.

“The 10th anniversary will occur in October 1904. What a splendid contribution to the celebration of that event would be the gathering in a newly completed school building.”

1912

In 1912, Cotting School built an outdoor classroom. It was believed that fresh air daily provided a “tonic effect”.

“It should be open from rof to ground… You do not want any corner for any stale air to get in and rest.” – Dr. Bradford

1923

The School completed a major addition to the new building that included a new high school, expanded industrial training areas, a more modern kitchen, and a new assembly hall. There was also more room for the Medical Department, which by this point included several doctors, nurses and physiotherapists.

1940s

Since its founding as the Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children in 1893, Cotting School has been a leader in the evolution and revolution of improving services for children with special needs. This collection of silent films offers a glimpse of the school circa 1940. You will see views of the school when it was located at 241 St. Botolph Street in Boston, MA. (1904-1988). The school is currently located in Lexington, MA. A 21st century viewer might look harshly on the terms “crippled” and “deformed,” used by the early leaders of the school. Yet the founders and early leaders were progressive and caring women and men, and their language reflects the times in which they lived. Note the outdoor classroom photo. In the early 20th century, the trend in medicine was for children to breathe as much fresh air as possible. Also view the care the bus driver takes as he assisted each child.

1950s

This is an excerpt from the film, Challenge for Tomorrow. It was produced in the 1950s for Cotting School, then known as the Industrial School for Crippled Children. At the time the school was located at 241 St. Botolph Street in Boston. Today the school is located in Lexington, MA.

1959

By this time, the School had grown to serve 120 students from 36 communities, including Reading, Braintree and Wellesley. 1959 also marked a major shift for the School. In former years, the School cared primarily for children with polio or its effects. With the introduction of the Salk polio vaccine, the School began to experience an increase in children with other conditions – such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida – that necessitated a larger and differently trained medical staff. There were also more students with congenital diseases and head traumas who would not have survived previously but who, due to new medical methods, could now be helped and saved.

The School took steps to better serve these students, including revising the curriculum, introducing new courses, purchasing modern equipment, hiring more staff, and expanding the School’s athletic, enrichment, and recreational offerings in an effort to better educate the “whole child.”

1964

While training in Boston, Muhammad Ali visited the Cotting School.

1974

After two years of lobbying, student Mary Fitzgerald persuaded the Board of Trustees, including Charles Cotting, to change the School’s name from “Industrial School for Crippled Children” to “Cotting School for Handicapped Children.”

1974

This is a collection of excerpts from the film, Count on Yourself. It was produced in 1974 for Cotting School by students from Emerson College in Boston. Founded in 1893, Cotting School was originally known as the Industrial School for Crippled Children. It was the first school of its kind in America. From 1904 to 1988 the school was located at 241 St. Botolph Street in Boston. Today the school is located in Lexington, MA.

1984-1988

By 1984 the St. Botolph Street building was in need of repairs that were prohibitively expensive. Eventually, the decision was made to relocate the School to Lexington on the site of the Krebs School, which merged into Cotting School on July 1, 1986. The new School opened on October 1, 1988.