Today’s Historic Wakefield Women salute looks at Miss Annie Warren, who served in Wakefield Public Schools for most of her life.

A lineal descendant of Moses Warren, of Waltham, who fought at Bunker Hill and Dorchester Heights, Annie was born in Maine and came to this town as a child. Her three brothers had fought heroically during the Civil War; two of them lost their lives as the result. Her big brother, ten years older, was Horace M. Warren, born in 1841, had earned special distinction. He had enlisted and was wounded at the Battle of Bull Run, and subsequently mustered out, but he repeatedly re-enlisted and was wounded again and again. He survived the battles of Bull Run, Ball’s Bluff, the siege of Port Hudson, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Weldon Railroad, only to die while being transported with the wounded of Weldon Railroad. In 1864, already at the rank of major, he finally succumbed to his injuries at the age of only 23. The GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) post named itself in his honor.

When Annie was old enough, she began work as a teacher in the town’s public schools. She had a true vocation and was revered and loved by her students. By 1896, she had served the School Department for a quarter of a century.

In 1895, the Town Meeting voted to build a new brick school on the West Side of town, and originally named it the “Highland School.” In 1896, it was voted to rename the building in honor of Major Horace M. Warren and one of its first employees, and principal, was Miss Annie M. Warren. She continued in that post basically until her death at her home at 50 Broadway in 1920.

One of the many memories of a past student, written in 1971 when the School Department threatened to close the school, was that “Miss Warren never lost her temper, but if angered, a vertical red streak appeared on her forehead. She never used a ruler or rattan on pupils as some grade school teachers did…” The School Department, Parent-Teacher Association and the whole town mourned the loss of this lovely lady who had made the Wakefield Public Schools her life’s vocation.

The beautiful old Warren Schoolhouse, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was ‘mothballed’ as a school, but became an interim home for WCAT, the town’s cable studio, and has subsequently been rededicated as the town’s Senior Center, where it continues to play a vital role in the community.

Just a reminder that the town will be recognizing all of our Civil War veterans and victims on May 31st when our beautiful Civil War Monument on the Common will be rededicated. Major Horace M. Warren was the town’s most honored veterans, who gave so much to the cause of fighting for the union.

If you are enjoying these Women’s History profiles, please follow Wakefield Historical Society. “Women in Wakefield” is a feature of the Wakefield Historical Soiciety, which will feature a different historic woman every day during Women’s History Month in March. All profiles will then be posted on our social media pages and on the blog at wakefieldhistory.org. Many are also being run through the courtesy of the Wakefield Daily Item.