Brewster Academy is a co-educational independent

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

located on in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, United States. It occupies of shoreline along Lake Winnipesaukee. With around 350 students, it serves grades nine through twelve and post-graduates. The 2023 full boarding tuition is $72,700. The current Head of School is Kristy Kerin.

History

The school was founded in 1820 by local citizens as a "building for higher education". Originally called the "Wolfeboro & Tuftonboro Academy", in 1887 it was renamed "Brewster Free Academy" in honor of benefactor John Brewster. For sixty years it charged no tuition fee to local residents, and, from its inception until 1964, the school served as the only high school in Wolfeboro, as well as serving day students from neighboring towns. In 1946, the academy begin to charge a small tuition, and Wolfeboro at its town meeting in March 1947 voted to pay local students' tuition fees. During the immediate postwar years, it was a popular school with military veterans seeking to improve their credentials for a university education under the

G.I. Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...

. In 1963 the graduating class consisted of 60 local students, with 30 additional post-graduate students who boarded on campus. Many were there to increase their athletic prowess, and some, including Milt Morin who played in the NFL, had successful college and pro sports careers. The local students were then moved to Kingswood Regional High School in town and Brewster became a private boarding school. In 1985,

Digital Equipment Corporation Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC ), using the trademark Digital, was a major American company in the computer industry from the 1960s to the 1990s. The company was co-founded by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson in 1957. Olsen was president until ...

co-founder Ken Olsen donated a number of Digital personal computers to Brewster. The computers were part of a new lab dedicated to Grace Murray Hopper, whose family had a summer house in Wolfeboro. The lab is called the Grace Murray Hopper Center for Computer Learning. Brewster has hosted the Great Waters Music Festival since 1995. This summer festival promotes live musical performances including choral, symphonic, folk, pops,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, Broadway,

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, and renowned vocal and instrumental artists. Celebrity performers have included Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Arlo Guthrie,

Chuck Mangione Charles Frank Mangione ( ; born November 29, 1940) is an American flugelhorn player, trumpeter and composer. He came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, and later co-led the Jazz Brothers with his brother, Gap Mangione, ...

, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. In 2020, Brewster's prep basketball team won their 7th National Prep Basketball Championship (2010; 2012; 2014; 2015; 2017; 2019; 2020). Twenty-one alumni have played in the NBA, including 10 who have been selected in the NBA draft since 2010. On July 1, 2021, Kristy Kerin became the 13th Head of School in Brewster's over 200-year history. Notably, she is the first female to hold the position.

Athletics

Brewster Academy provides various afternoon sport programs, such as soccer, basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, or tennis, with members of faculty coaching them. Brewster has a diverse selection of interscholastic sports along with recreational, intramural and instructional sports during the fall, winter and spring seasons. Among the interscholastic sports, Brewster fields varsity, junior varsity and co-ed teams, as well as eight- and four-person shells on the crew teams. Games are typically played on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with a half day of classes on Wednesdays to accommodate games schedules. During games and during regular practices, an athletic trainer is available to help students. The teams are coached by members of faculty at all levels. Brewster competes in the following interscholastic sports:

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, cross country running,

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...

, crew,

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

, and

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

. Intramural, recreational and instructional offerings include advanced

strength training Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, is exercise designed to improve physical strength. It is often associated with the lifting of Weightlifting, weights. It can also incorporate techniques such as bodyweigh ...

equestrianism Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

, outdoor skills, snow sports, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, x-fitness, and

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

. Athletic facilities include a athletics and wellness center featuring a convertible turf floor, a four-lane 200-meter indoor track, and a fitness center; six playing fields; nine

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...

s; a boathouse for dry land training for the

and crew teams; an indoor rowing tank; and a climbing wall.

Arts

In the performing arts, Brewster has an award-winning chorus, ''HOWL'', which has performed at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

and a drama group that produces musicals, operas and plays throughout the year. There is a chamber orchestra, a

chorale A chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale: * Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of " Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one o ...

, a wind ensemble and a jazz band, and dance instruction is available. An art center is home to

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

s, printmaking, drawing and painting classes.

Multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms, such as Text (literary theory), writing, Sound, audio, images, animations, or video, into a single presentation. T ...

and

desktop publishing Desktop publishing (DTP) is the creation of documents using dedicated software on a personal ("desktop") computer. It was first used almost exclusively for print publications, but now it also assists in the creation of various forms of online co ...

centers feature the latest computers, industry standard software, and video and digital equipment. The newly renovated Anderson Hall, designed by Scott Simons Architects, features a

proscenium A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...

theater, new lobby and green room. Scott Simons Architects received the AIA NH Honor Award for the design in 2015.

Notable alumni

* Jalen Adams (born 1995), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Jeff Adrien, basketball player for the UConn Huskies and

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

* Dwayne Aristode (born 2006), basketball player for Arizona University * Doğuş Balbay, basketball player for Anadolu Efes * Will Barton, basketball player for the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

* Jonah Bolden, basketball player for Philadelphia 76ers * Carey Booth, basketball player * Craig Brackins, basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers * William Brochu, Republican Political Operative and 2025 Senate Youth Delegate (NH) * Matas Buzelis, basketball player for Chicago Bulls * Terrence Clarke, former college basketball player for Kentucky Wildcats * Marcus Derrickson, basketball player for Golden State Warriors * Melvin Ejim (born 1991), small forward for Budućnost * C. J. Fair, former small forward for the Syracuse Orange * Daniel Ford, novelist, journalist, historian * Ryder Garnsey, California Redwoods (lacrosse) Professional Lacrosse player for California Redwoods * Topher Grace, actor * Devonte' Graham, basketball player for the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

* Charles Hoag, classical scholar * James Kirkwood, Jr., author; his novel ''Good Times Bad Times'' is set at Brewster, although the school and its buildings are renamed * Jalen Lecque, guard for the Phoenix Suns * Mark Lyons (born 1989), basketball player, top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League in both 2015 and 2017 * Jamal Mashburn Jr., basketball player * Mitch McGary, power forward for the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

* Donovan Mitchell, NBA All-Star, first-round selection in 2017 NBA draft * Milt Morin, NFL player * Miles Norris (born 2000), basketball player for the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

* Hosea Quimby, Free Will Baptist minister and educator * Jalen Reynolds (born 1992), basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the

and Euroleague. * Kadary Richmond, basketball player for the St. John's Red Storm * Thomas Robinson, basketball player for the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

* JaKarr Sampson, basketball player for the Indiana Pacers * Avi Schafer (born 1998), Japanese professional basketball player * Blake Schilb, basketball player for Paris-Levallois * Justine Siegal, First female professional baseball coach and sports educator * Xavier Silas, basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers * Justin Simon (born 1996), basketball player for Bnei Herzliya of the

* Jared Terrell (born 1995), basketball player in the

* T. J. Warren, forward for the Indiana Pacers

References

External links

Brewster Academy official website

The Association of Boarding Schools profile
{{authority control Boarding schools in New Hampshire Educational institutions established in 1820 Preparatory schools in New Hampshire Private high schools in New Hampshire Schools in Carroll County, New Hampshire Wolfeboro, New Hampshire Free Will Baptist schools