BEAM CEREMONY | Building #19

DERRY, NH – Pinkerton Academy’s new building is one step closer to completion.

The final beam has been placed on the new building that will replace the old wing devoted to social studies and special education, Pinkerton Academy officials announced last week.

The building’s topping-off ceremony at the beginning of April was completed by Alex Flanders, a project manager at Eckman Construction and a member of Pinkerton’s 2009 graduating class.

“Having attended Pinkerton Academy as a student, it is very exciting to be back and to have the opportunity to help shape the campus and leave a lasting mark,” said Flanders.

The original building, the Robert Frost English Wing, was built in the early 1970s as a temporary building to meet the classroom needs of a growing student population. It had outlived its projected lifespan.

Demolition and construction on the $20.7 million project began in the summer of 2023 with expected project completion in spring 2025.

Pinkerton Academy Headmaster Dr. Timothy Powers said the new building will have half the footprint of the old one, and will include updated parking areas, as well as better interior design to help students, staff and those visiting better navigate the building. With the structural steel section of the project complete, the next step is to make the building watertight, Flanders said.

Powers said this is an extremely important moment in the history of the school, and said he was proud the students – current and former – were able to participate.

“The placement of the final beam is a key milestone in this important project,” Powers said. “Having members of our board, staff, alumni, and student body sign the beam underscores the broad and lasting impact the project will have on our campus community.”

In the spring of 2025, the second phase will involve taking down the remainder of the old building, with the new building occupied that year. The final phase is paving and striping parking areas.

This student-centered project is the result of the leadership and commitment of Pinkerton Academy Board of Trustees, along with years of partnership with school administration, faculty, and staff.

Pinkerton currently serves about 3,200 students, with 530 employees and is the high school of record for Derry, Chester, Hampstead, Auburn, Candia and Hooksett.

The community is invited to learn more about the construction project and its progress at pinkertonacademy.org/ssbuilding.