Our School's History

James Mastricola was born in Casa/ca/len/da, Italy on March 27, 1878. When he was 17 years old, working on the railroad, he emigrated from Italy to the United States.  He and his brother, Peter, settled in Nashua. They began selling berries and fruit from a pushcart. As the business grew, the brothers earned enough money to open a store and buy a farm in Merrimack, NH. James worked the farm while his brother ran the store. When James died at the age of 80, he left his entire estate to the Town of Merrimack with the express purpose of building a school. He hoped to inspire young people to strive for a better life through education.  

In 1962 the James Mastricola School was built and used as a high school. In 1966, it became Merrimack's Junior High School. Then, in 1973, after more construction was completed, the school was renamed the James Mastricola Middle School. Today, there are two schools named after Mr. Mastricola: James Mastricola Elementary School and James Mastricola Upper Elementary School. Portraits of James Mastricola hang in both schools today, reminding us of his vision to inspire young people to better themselves through education.