USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 36
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I26
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
Testament, while his former duties were transferred to the professor of Hebrew.
In February 1873, the Rev. T. W. Coit, D. D., LL. D., who had from the beginning given instruction in the school in ecclesiastical history, removed to Middletown and became one of the resident professors. About 4,000 volumes of his large and valuable library had been de- posited for many years with the school, and soon after his coming to Middletown the remaining 10,000 were ac- quired by the school. The whole library is now some- what above 17,000 volumes. In January of the follow- ing year, 1874, the Rev. John Binney became professor of Hebrew, giving instruction also in Chaldee and Syriac as electives. In 1876 he became chaplain of the school, and in 1882 his department was enlarged by the addition of the literature and interpretation of the Old Testa- ment.
At the beginning of January 1883, the Rev. William A. Johnson entered upon his duties as the professor chosen to fill the place of Mr. Yardley. The list of the faculty at present is as follows:
The Rt. Rev. John Williams, D.D., LL. D., Dean and professor of doctrinal and pastoral theology and the prayer book. The Rev. Thomas W. Coit, D. D., L.L. D., pro- fessor of church history. The Rev. Samuel Fuller, D. D., professor emeritus. The Rev. Frederic Gardiner, D. D., professor of the literature and interpretation of the New Testament, and librarian. The Rev. John Binney, M. A., professor of Hebrew and the literature and interpretation of the Old Testament, and chaplain. The Rev. William A. Johnson, M. A., professor of Christian evidences and homiletics. The Rev. Francis T. Russell, M. A., pro- fessor of elocution.
The whole number of alumni in 1884 is 293, of whom 15 are deceased. Although, as already said, the school was designed as the theological training school for the diocese of Connecticut, many of these have come from remote parts of the country, and they are now distributed everywhere from China to Oregon, three of them being missionaries in the Indian country, and some of them are to be found in most of the dioceses of the United States. The number in the school in the session of 1883-4 was 34.
The school year begins about the 20th of September, and continues until the first of June, with a short recess at Christmas, and another at Easter. During term time and sometimes in the vacations also, many of the students are employed on Sundays as lay readers in the neighbor- hood and some in feeble parishes in distant parts of the diocese
The library, containing, as before mentioned, over 17,000 volumes, is almost wholly theological: but its books are lent freely to any body who may wish to use them. It is at present stored in the class rooms, but a special and fire proof building is urgently needed, as well as funds for its care and for the purchase of new books. Its only means of increase at present is from the dona- tions of friends.
The endowment of the school, though still very far from -sufficient, has gradually grown by the liberality of
many generous friends, conspicuous among whom have been Mr. E. S. Hall, of New York, the late Mrs. Mary W. A. Mutter of Middletown and other members of the Alsop family, the late Miss Margaret Belden of Norwalk, the late Mrs. F. A. Russell of Middletown, and especially the late Mr. Joseph E. Sheffield of New Haven.
The present endowment, over and above the real estate in Middletown, a small amount of unproductive real es- tate elsewhere, and a considerable amount of stocks given to the school in their present form, but yielding no in- come, is as follows:
General endowment fund. $118,363.00
Belden legacy 14,353.00
Mutter professorship. 25,000.00
$157,716.00
SPECIAL FUNDS.
Susan Bronson Legacy. 500.00
Alsop Memorial Fund. 3,000.00
Richard Mansfield Scholarship .. 1,000.00
Chapel Endowment Fund . 10,000.00
James Scovill Scholarship. 1,000.00
$15,500.00
$173,216.00
That so much has been accomplished with so small an endowment is due to the personal activity of Bishop Wil- liams, the founder of the school. It is hoped that in the near future such further endowments may be obtained as shall fit the school more fully for its work and greatly increase the effectiveness of all that has been already given.
SCHOOLS IN MIDDLETOWN .*
If to any one thing more than another is due the prestige of New England to-day, it is her schools and school system. It is a noteworthy fact that the early settler had scarcely constructed the rude building to shelter his family before the meeting house was voted and built; and regularly, on the Sabbath day, all the people of the little settlement, with the exception of those required by law to be detailed for guard duty against the savages, gathered in this meeting house for worship and religious instruc- tion; and close upon the heels of the meeting house came the school. The church was first and most important because the home could not perform all the functions and supply all the wants of the church -the home could, however, to a considerable ex- tent, supply the need of the school, and so the school came second, and after the little colony had in a measure established itself. The foresight of the fathers in this regard was of inestimable value, not only to the infant commonwealth, but to Connecticut of to-day; and to it the State owes her proud position among her sister com- monwealths.
And as the several settlements and colonies helped themselves in this regard, the State assisted and provided for the education of the young, some of the statutes in
*BY W. U. PEARNE ESQ.
-
I27
MIDDLETOWN-SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
force at this time, having been enacted as early as 1650. Among these are the statutes requiring parents and those having the care of children to bring them up in some honest and lawful calling or employment, and to instruct them or cause them to be instructed in the neces- sary branches of learning, and making it the duty of town officers to see that the heads of families were not negligent of their duty in this regard.
Throughout the whole history of the State is found the enactment of wise laws as they became necessary, and the appropriation of large sums of money, the in- come of which is to be used for the support of schools, and the use of which for any other purpose is punishable by severe penalties, so that to-day the State is provided with good schools, which are also free schools, and no one, be he rich or poor, can be deprived of a good com-
How does this little first school house compare with the more pretentious ones of to-day ? And yet this rude log cabin, as it probably was, was of more real interest to that little community than the spacious and comforta- mon school education if he will take it, and if he refuse, | ble school rooms are to the parents and scholars of the then the State interferes and insists under certain penalties that he shall take some advantage of the bene- fits provided.
The settlement of the town of Middletown dates as early as 1650. In February 1652, it was voted to build the meeting house and the vote was speedily carried into effect. It must be remembered that the settlers were few and poor, and that whatever could be accomplished by manual labor was quickly and cheerfully done, and that money especially must have been a scarce commodity, since there were but limited means of producing articles of exchange and the market was certainly a small one. In view of these facts and also of the fact that each home must have been the school room for its own young, and faithful mothers the instructors, it is not to be wondered at that the first recorded vote pertaining to school mat- ters is dated April 14th 1675, probably about twenty- five years after the first settlement. The following is the vote:
"14 of ye 4, 1675. At ye same meeting ye town granted ten pounds for ye year ensuing towards ye incourigm't of a schoolemaster to teach o'r children to read & write and made choice of goodman Wilcock, Wil- liam Harriss and Seargt Ward to enquire after and agree with a meet person for that work. and to levy ye remainder of his higher upon ye children schooled to ye summ of ten pounds more."
The vote does not disclose where the school was to be kept, and it is a fair inference that the thing was quite experimental.
The number of householders at this time was between 50 and 60, and probably the schoolmaster's salary, small as it was, was not easily raised, for on November 29th 1676, is found the following vote:
"November 29, 1676. Tho town voated to entertayn Mr. Thomas Webe as a scollmaster to teach chillderen to wright and read at least for tryall for the winter season. abought halfo a yeare, finding him meat & drinko or sum other small incoredgement; at tho samo time was voated that the watchhous shall be forthwith fitted up for a scholl- hous.
In this vote a place is designated for the school to be held-the watch-house. In all probability the sturdy set- tlers had small occasion to use it for any other purpose.
It seems that Mr. Webb's " tryall " was satisfactory, because in the following March the town passed this vote:
"At a town mooting yo 12th of March 1676-7 the town granted Mr. Thomas Wob as schoolomaster to ye town twentyfive pounds for his sal-
lery for one year beginning ye twentyeighth day of December past; this sum above said to be levyed as followeth, ten pound to be paid by the town according to former grant for ye incouragement of a schoole master, fifteen pound to be levyed on ye children that have gone, shall goe, or ought to goe to school in equall proportion."
It will be observed that by this vote each child must pay his proportion whether he went to school or not.
That this school was successful may be presumed by the following vote:
"September 7, 1680. The towne voated to a shool hous of twenty six foot long & seaventeen or eightene foot wide & six foot & a hallfe be- tweene joints in hight. & secondly that the townsmen shall use the best means they can to get it done if it may be before winter. & thirdly that this hous shall be sett up in some place neare the watch hous.
present time :- as witness the following vote, to provide for the maintenance of the public school in addition to the town money and private contributions:
"January 6, 1695-6. Att the same towne and proprietors meeting upon the motion of ye Reverent Mr. Russell it was votted that it in any time coming there shal be made any lands by way of islands upon the great river, within the bounds of this township, that all such lands shal be improved for ye benefit and encouragement of the public school in this towne."
At the time of the settlement of Middletown there were three separate groups of settlers; one near the south end of Main street, one in the vicinity of the old ceme- tery, St. John Square, and the third at the present site of Cromwell; "North Society," or "Upper Houses " as it was called. The North Society increased quite rapidly in numbers, so that in 1703 they petitioned for and were granted leave to settle a minister.
Whether there was any dispute with regard to the location or management of the town School does not ap- pear; but it is quite reasonable to suppose that, with the large number of inhabitants in this part of the town, there would be a feeling that they ought to have some school opportunities nearer to them than the then town school.
The following grant from the General Court was made in October 1709.
SCHOOLS.
" Upon the consideration of the petition of the inhabitants on the north side the riveret in Middletown, now presented to this As- sembly, praying that so much of the school money arising by law as shall be levyed on their part of the list of that town, may be ordered to be improved for a school amongst them on the north side the said river: This Assembly grants and allows the same, providing they shall maintain a school for reading and writing, for one half of the year. annually; and do order that on default thereof, the said money shall be paid toward tho maintenance of the town school as formerly."
In the mean time a settlemment had been made upon the east side of the " Great River," and had considerably increased in numbers. "Upper Houses " had been in- corporated as a parish in 1704, and the town school house near the watch-house had been built about thirty years before .*
*It seems that both the settlement at "I'pper Honses" and on the enst side of the River, demanded that the money collected from them should be at least in part expended for schools in their midst And the matter promised to be quite a serious cause of trouble.
I28
HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
On the 15th of February the school committee sub. mitted the following proposal to the town, although what action the town took, if any, is not shown. It will be noted that the ferry alluded to was a small ferry across what is now called Sabethe River, connecting the "Up- per Houses " with Middletown:
" We whose names are underwritten being apointed a Committe for the managing the town schole in Midletown do unanimosly agre to make the following proposells to the town for their concurence and confermation. Imprimis, thata new schoole house be erected for the ac- comidation of the wholl neighborhood at som place betwene Bows, Tappins and Fosters corner as shall be thought by the said Committe to be most convenient at the charge only of those that inhabbit on the south of the ferry, and the west of the great river.
2ly. For the incoridging of learning and supporting of the said town schole. It is agreed that twenty-five pounds be annually raised out of the inhabitants of the whole town, according to their istates, in the grand levy as it shall be approved and pased by the Gen'r'll Assembly, from time to time, untill that with the forty shillings upon ye thousand pounds ordered by the Gen'll Assembly with the incomes of other dona- tions shall amouut to the som of forty. pounds pr annuin, and. after- wards the said twenty-five pounds raised by the town to abate as the the other incoms do increase from time to time, which som shall be im- proved as followeth, viz., what part of it arises on the inhabitants on the north side the ferry shall be improved among the children there, to enter them in learning, provided thay keep a half year scole amongst themselves; and upon their default it shall be payed to the town schole, on the south side the said ferry, and what of the said twenty-five pounds arises on the inhabitants on the east side the great river, with their part of the forty shillings on the thousand pounds which shall be improved amongst the children there, they obliging themselves to keep a halfe years schole to instruct their children in learning amongst them- selves, but npon their default the whole shall be payed to the town schole, on the west side the great river, and if any of their children be- ing well entered in their spelling want to be parfected in reading wright- ing an sifering and their parents or masters will allow them, they may come over and be further instructed at the town schole upon free cost.
" 3ly, that the Committe apointed for the scole be standing, and if any of them by the providence of God be removed by deth or otherwise that then the town shall make choice of others won or more to make up the vaconcy.
" 4ly, that the sd. Committe arc hereby inpoured and ordered to procure from time to time a sutable and soficient scholemaster to teach and instruct children and youth & to perfect them in learning as the law directs, and to agree with him for price & order him his pay from time to time accordingly, also to demand, receive, and improve all such gifts and donations as are or shall be made to the said schole for the best use and bennifit thereof.
" 5ly that no a, b, c darians be allowed to come to be taught at the said town schole, unles it be when there is not a compitancy of others to keepe the scholemaster imployed, and it be with the said master's concent.
" February the 15th 1710-11.
" THOMAS MILLER
" JOHN HAMLIN
" THOMAS ALLIN
" NOADIAH RUSSELL
" IZRAHIAH WETMORE
" JOHN HALL
" JOHN WARNER JUNE'R
" THOMAS WARD'
" GEORGE STOCKING
" ISAACK JOHNSON,"
This proposal contains the history of the first " High School." No definite action is recorded, but from sub- sequent records it is presumed that the "proposells " were accepted and adopted.
Besides the territory now comprised in the towns of Middletown, Middlefield, Cromwell, Portland, and Chatham, a part of the present town of Berlin was granted to Middletown in 1609. Settlers had moved in, and the parish of Kensington had been formed. In the May session of the General Court, 1744, the following resolution was passed:
" Upon the memorial of David Sage and others. Middletown, within the parish of Kensington, and those within the district of that train- band annexed to that company called the Northwest Quarter of Midle- town, praying liberty to erect a school among them ; Resolved by this Assembly, that the memorialists and inhabitants within the following bounds (viz.), on the west by Farmingtown east line from Midletown northwest corner; south, so far as the district of that company called
Midletown Northwest Quarter; north, by Weathersfield, to extend so far east as the district of said company ; east and south by the bounds of said company or trainband; shall and may assemble together, as so- cieties by law are enabled, and form a school amongst said inhabitants, and regulate the same according to the laws of this Colony in such case provided; and also that the memorialists and inhabitants within the bounds aforesaid shall and may, from time to time, draw out their pro- portion of money. according to their list, as shall and may be granted on the publick list for the support of schools in this Colony; and that the money by them received of Midletown of the sale of the western lands shall be for the use aforesaid; always provided a school be kept amongst said inhabitants according to law."
There seem to be no further records relating to schools for a long time. Probably decent schools were maintained, with periods of success and depression. How they fared when the colonies became involved in the long and tedious war of the Revolution, is not shown; and whether it was due to the war or a lack of interest in the schools it seems that the school was allowed to deteriorate.
But there were men of public spirit who saw the great misfortune of a lack of proper school opportunities, and on the 9th of September 1782, the following memorial which was received with favor was presented to the town:
" Sept. 9, 1782. To the inhabitants of Middletown, to be assembled in town meeting this day, Gentlemen The education of children we look upon a matter of great importance & which in many places too very much neglected, & in order that our children may no longer share in the commnon calamity, we the subscribers have entered into a written agreement to set up, support & maintain at our own private expense, a school to be steadily kept, both winter & summer, & having no place on our land convenient as that spot on which one was formerly built a few rods west of the meeting house, we therefore earnestly request the favor of this town, to grant us liberty to build a house, on that spot of ground and as it cant possibly, in any degree discommode the public nor any private person, and as our design in its own nature is laudable & cant but meet the approbation of every generous mind, so we flatter ourselves, you will so far countenance our design, as cheerfully to comply with our request.
" NATH'L EELLS } Com'ee " WM. SAGE in behalf of the
" TIMO. GIBSON whole.
" Voted, That the memorialists have liberty to erect a sehoolhouse as mentioned above, during the town's pleasure."
It would be exceedingly interesting, were it possible, to follow the division and organization of districts, as the population increased, until from the one little town school, with its single teacher, and ten, fifteen, or twenty scholars, supported at an annual expense of a hundred dollars, there are now in the territory originally com- prising the town of Middletown more than 45 school districts, with 48 schools, 78 teachers, an enumeration of 4,885 children, and a payment of more than $50,000 an- nually, to support the public common schools, to say nothing of the private schools in the same territory.
The present town of Middletown (exclusive of the city, which will be noticed hereafter) is divided into eighteen school districts, as follows, commencing at the north east corner of the town: Newfield, Westfield First, West- field Second, Westfield Third, Westfield Fourth, Staddle Hill North, Staddle Hill South, Connecticut Industrial School for Girls, West Long Hill, East Long Hill, Du- rant, Farm Hill, Millers Farms, Johnson Lane, Bow Lane, Hubbard, Haddam Road, and Maromas. In these dis- tricts there were, January Ist 1884, 1, 213 persons between the ages of four and sixteen years. Each district has its own school house. In that of Millers Farms are six rooms, five of which are occupied. Durant has a fine
129
MIDDLETOWN-SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.
brick school house with two rooms, both of which are occupied. The other school houses are ordinary wood buildings, having but one school room each .* School is maintained in each of the districts, except Haddam Road, for at least 36 weeks in each year; in Haddam Road District for at least 24 weeks in the year.
The Connecticut Industrial School for Girls, while be- ing one of the school districts of the town, is fully de- scribed elsewhere, and therefore is not included in this statement.
The supervision of the schools is vested by law in a board of school visitors consisting of six members, two of whom are chosen each year for the period of three years, which board is also non-partisan. It is their duty to as- certain the fitness of teachers, to visit the schools, and see that they are properly managed, and to report to the town and State board of education.
The executive officer of the district is the district com- mittee, who is chosen for one year.
For the year ending August 31st 1884, the town schools of Middletown were supported at a cost of $7,162.61, of which $6,761.50 was paid by the town.
THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT .- Prior to 1839 all the districts in the present town limits, except the four West- field districts, were incorporated into the First School Society, but of the time and manner there is no record. The city proper was divided into four districts, and they were a part of the First School Society.
In 1839 these four districts, upon their own petition, were incorporated into "The Middletown City School Society." Each district, however, retained its old organ- ization, limits, and school. These districts were desig- nated: "The North," "North Middle," "South Middle," and "South."
Shortly after the organization of the City School So- ciety, a high school building was erected on College street.
In 1857, under authority from the General Assembly, the four districts were consolidated, and the " Middle- town City School Society " became "The Middletown City School District."
Certain disputes having arisen regarding the western boundary, the following bounds were fixed for the new district:
" The Middletown City Schoel Distriet includes the City of Middle- tewn, excepting that part ef the same which lies west of a line begin- ning at the center ef Newfield bridge near the factory on Jackson street, and running thence in a straight course te a point in the southerly line of the city about eighty-one and one-half feet westerly from the center of Babeeck street. The location ef said line is indicated by four stene bounds set in the ground, each having en its upper face the letters C. S.D., and a greeve showing the positien of the line.
The affairs of the district are managed by a board of education consisting of nine members, three of whom are chosen each year for the period of three years.
Upon this board are conferred all' the powers and du-
ties of school visitors and district committee. The an- nual meeting of the district is held on the third Monday of September.
For a time the district utilized the four old school buildings, and the new one on College street. In 1868-69 the latter building was remodelled and enlarged to its pres- ent capacity, namely: a two-story French roof brick build- ing, with basement. As now used this building has six rooms on each of the first and second floors; two school rooms, an apparatus room, and a commodious hall on the third floor; with ample accommodations in the basement for cloak rooms and heating apparatus, and an extra reci- tation room if required. The building is well ventilated, furnished with good desks, etc., warmed throughout with steam, and every precaution has been taken with regard to sewage for the attainment of the best sanitary condi- tions. There are also ample grounds about the building. This house was formally opened in January 1870, and denominated the "Central School." By this change the other buildings were rendered unnecessary, and two of them, on Pearl and William streets, in the two middle districts, with their sites, were sold.
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