State Reform School for Boys

The State Reform School for Boys was a state-run juvenile reformatory in Westborough, Massachusetts, that operated from 1848 to 1884. Established by the Commonwealth, it was the first publicly funded reform school in the United States and a program intended to rehabilitate juvenile offenders through education, labor, and discipline.

The school initially ran as a large, centralized institution but later tried other approaches, including small cottage-style residences and a seafaring training program. Its history was marked by expansion, overcrowding, and public controversy, leading to legislative investigations. In 1884, it was closed and reorganized as the Lyman School for Boys, and its buildings were converted for use as the Westborough State Hospital.