Overview

Established 230 years ago, Fryeburg Academy is only a few years younger than our nation itself. It is one of only 19 remaining “town academies” in New England, an independent high school commissioned throughout its history by Fryeburg and surrounding towns to educate their children; they have never built a public secondary school. FA is a source of pride and an important economic mainstay for its community.

The Academy currently enrolls 585 students, 475 of whom are day students, and 105 who attend as resident students and live in one of six dormitories. With 22 countries represented, the boarding program brings a very international mix to this Western Maine school; the overall cultural, racial, intellectual, and socioeconomic diversity offered here is unique and deeply treasured.

FA’s campus and facilities have evolved over the years, of course, to meet new educational demands, extend special opportunities, and accommodate growth. Visitors often comment on how collegiate the place feels, remarking also on the beauty of our structures and the great fortune of students who get to learn and play within them; many of these facilities were made possible by generous support from alumni and friends. The school’s most recent campaign, Students In the Center, resulted in the construction of Shaffner Hall, which opened in early 2020 and houses a spacious, beautiful new dining room, three world languages classrooms, the postsecondary and school counseling suite, and an inviting student union and test kitchen.

Ten years prior to the Students In the Center campaign, the Academy opened the Harvey Dow Gibson Athletic Center and Ada Cram Wadsworth Arena, a remarkable facility enabled by The Phoenix Project, the capital campaign that garnered $9.3 million in gifts and that remains the most successful fundraising effort in school history. Housing FA’s gymnasium, athletic department, and the Daniel Turner Fitness Center, the complex is an exciting hub of activity and competition for both Academy students and many individuals in the wider community who pursue their fitness goals by purchasing gym memberships.

The Converse Athletic Fields, Howe Street Athletic Fields, and four adjoining, competition tennis courts comprise FA’s outdoor athletic areas and are utilized by baseball, football, soccer, field hockey, ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, tennis, and track teams. The Converse Athletic Fields are most central to the rest of campus and the most heavily used; like those on Howe Street, they are grass fields and without lighting.