Biography
Rose Lucia was a teacher, principal, supervisor of rural schools and author of the popular "Peter and Polly" children's book series. The School Street Bridge in Montpelier, Vermont, was renamed the Rose Lucia Bridge in honor of her achievements and contributions to the State of Vermont.
Rose Lucia was born in Vergennes, Vermont, but spent most of her life in Montpelier. She attended Montpelier Public Schools and went to the Allen Brothers English and Classical School in West Newton, Massachusetts. Lucia started teaching third-grade in 1893 at the elementary school in Montpelier and served as Principal of the East State Street School from 1907 to 1921. She combined strict discipline with a quest for better instruction and became an advocate for the Montessori method of teaching. After her appointment as Supervisor of the Rural Schools of Vermont in 1921, she and Dorothy Canfield Fisher developed a system of standards for rural schools that improved methods of instruction. Lucia was active in the Vermont Teachers' Retirement Fund Association and the Young Women's Christian Association.
Lucia's other passion in life was writing. Her first book, "Stories of American Discoverers for Little Americans," was geared to six to eight year olds and told the stories of the world's greatest explorers. She also wrote a series of five books about Peter and Polly, modeled after a brother and sister in East St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Published worldwide by the American Book Company, the books proved to be very successful. The "Peter and Polly" books have been collected into one volume and can be purchased at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, Vermont. Lucia died in Santa Monica, California, on February 7, 1938. In memory of Lucia and her achievements, the 1993-1994 Vermont State Legislature renamed the School Street Bridge in Montpelier, Vermont, the Rose Lucia Bridge, making it the first structure in the town to be named after a woman.Education
Allen Brothers English and Classical School, West Newton, Massachusetts (1892)Occupation
Teacher
Principal of the East State Street School
Vermont Supervisor of Rural Schools
Author