USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Shelburne > History and tradition of Shelburne, Massachusetts > Part 17
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Mechanical drawing, while not classifiable as art, was taught by the supervisor as early as 1908. It was introduced primarily for boys who planned to attend technical schools, and became an integral part of the shop course when that was begun.
Interest in these forms of art training has been maintained and frequent exhibitions of the pupils'
work have been put on. It should be mentioned before we leave the subject, that in nearly every instance the art supervisor has been the penmanship supervisor also.
PRIZE SPEAKING, DRAMATICS, AND GRADUATION
Some of the customs and activities of commence- ment week became traditional at Arms, especially the senior play and prize speaking. Starting in Professor Cowell's time, the drama has received much attention. Prize speaking too, dates back to this time.
Since 1923 when the Arms Academy Dramatic Club was formed, the study of the drama has centered about the senior play. This occurs about Christmas every year, and both students and townspeople look forward to it with interest.
In 1937 and each year since, the freshman, sopho- more and junior classes have each given a one-act play. This usually comes in March and serves to accentuate the school's interest in this subject. These plays are coached by members of the faculty, and the school's musical organizations furnish music for both the one-act plays and the senior play.
In the earliest days prize speaking was an important part of the commencement program. Later it was omitted for a time and revived in 1922, a boy and a girl from each class being chosen to compete. In 1934 this competition became a separate event and the competition was limited to the junior class. Interest decreased, however, and it was soon discontinued and more attention was given to dramatics. More atten- tion, too, was given in the classrooms, particularly English and social studies, to encouraging pupils to think and talk on their feet; a recently purchased tape recorder was helpful in this. The dramatic club was discontinued and its activities are now man- aged by the class organizations.
Graduation exercises have also changed from time to time since Dr. Cowell's day, usually toward greater simplicity. The Sunday program was discontinued in 1937. At the same time the "graduation parts" - salutatory, valedictory and others - gave way to some well-known speaker from outside. The band and chorus, which put on a program of their own in May. are accessories at this event.
A custom was begun some years ago of awarding prizes at graduation, usually for outstanding work in some subject or some other form of student activity. These are given by individuals, business firms, and other organizations.
Still another custom, which was started in 1955, is the raising of scholarship funds to assist pupils to continue their education. The recipients of these are also announced at graduation.
Other features of the program were put on during school hours. The final Assembly, held on the day before graduation, was conducted by the senior class. The Class Day exercises, half serious and half highly dramatized fun, were held the forenoon of graduation day.
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Standardized tests began to be used during the 1930's. Tests of general intelligence and of reading ability were applied to pupils entering Arms to assist in placing them properly in their classes. Tests in intelligence and in achievement in various subjects were used through the grades and at Arms.
The achievement tests were useful in checking the progress of the pupils from time to time and also in comparing the work of the classes here with those in other systems. Educational and vocational aptitude tests were also used for guidance purposes in Arms. After the war a teacher trained in guidance methods was added to the faculty, and now the school has the active cooperation of the testing department of Bos- ton University's School of Education.
Shelburne acquired its first school physician in the school year of 1910-1911. The State law now required examination of the children for two reasons; first, to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the school; and second, to make sure that the children were not hindered in their school work by defects which could be removed or benefited by medical atten- tion. The first examination concentrated on nose and throat, with special attention to tonsils and adenoids. That first year found 30% of the children with teeth that needed dental attention. As years went on, a card catalogue was compiled of the school children which gave information as to eyes, ears, nose, throat and chest, height and weight, thus giving a complete medical history of children in the schools.
The law of 1919-1920 made the employment of a school nurse, as well as a school physician, compul- sory. The nurse's duties were to assist the doctor in his semiannual examinations of the children, do any follow-up work necessary, and keep the records. Be- fore a school nurse was regularly employed, the public health nurse gave considerable assistance to the school physician.
The serving of lunches in the elementary schools began in a very tentative way before the Second World War, and after that, when the Federal-aided lunch program went into effect, regular hot lunches were served. An attempt was made to serve lunches at Arms Academy during the war with one hot dish daily, prepared and served by the household arts girls, but it was unsuccessful; the girls felt that the work gave them no valuable training and too few of the pupils were interested in purchasing every day. An- other attempt, however, was made in 1953 with an excellent employed staff and has been very successful.
A good deal of classroom equipment has been added in recent years, in addition to the various vocational requirements. The elementary schools have a motion picture projector with sound equipment. Another, purchased jointly by the school department and the Arms Student Association, was fitted with a lamp and lens powerful enough to carry the picture from the rear balcony of Science Hall to the front. A phonograph and stock of records is available, as is a
table projector for slides and film strips. At Arms there is a tape recorder for use in developing good speech habits; pupils' voices are reproduced so that the pupils themselves may see where improvement is needed.
There are several student organizations in addition to the four classes. The Arms Athletic Association developed into the Arms Academy Student Association which maintains athletics and most of the other extra- curricular activities, including the Arms Student. Two others are very important, the Pro Merito Society and the Student Council. The former is a chapter of a school honor society popular in this region, and was granted its charter in 1917. The Council, organ- ized ten years later, consists of fifteen to eighteen pupils elected by various groups within the school, plus one member of the faculty. Its function is to maintain a contact for exchange of ideas between pupils and faculty, and as such it is very valuable.
NEW BUILDINGS
After the end of World War II the prospects of increased enrolments arose. In 1948 a highly compe- tent "fact-finding committee" was appointed to make a survey of the probable future enrolment and its needs and of the facilities available. It reported that the hundred-year-old Baker School was inadequate in number of classrooms, playground room, heating equip- ment, toilet facilities, and means of preparing lunches ; this in spite of the expenditure of many hundreds of dollars. The Center School, while a great improve- ment over the one-room schools it replaced, compelled each teacher to handle two or three grades and had no luncheon facilities. The Academy building at Arms, designed for another era, was unsatisfactory in room arrangement and deficient in heating, lighting, toilet equipment, and parking space; and the town did not own it or the Science building. Recommendations, however, were regularly voted down at town meetings in spite of the painstaking work of the committee.
Later, another very capable committee was appointed for the same purpose. It reviewed and confirmed the findings of the first group, and approached the finan- cial side by emphasizing that when two or more towns united to organize "regional" schools, a large part of the cost of building and operating them would be met from State and Federal funds, provided that cer- tain conditions were complied with. Town meetings were held early in 1956 in which Shelburne and Buck- land voted to form a regional committee for an ele- mentary school for the kindergarten and grades one through six. Also, a committee was appointed, with members from Colrain, Heath, Charlemont and Haw- ley, as well as from Buckland and Shelburne, to plan for a Junior-Senior High School.
As this account is being written, construction of the elementary school is under way on the east side of Mechanic Street, overlapping the upper end of Grove Street. Also, the high school committee selected a site on the Buckland Road for the new regional school and
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had a set of plans drawn for the building; but at the 1958 town meetings Buckland and Shelburne voted to withdraw from the Regional organization. These withdrawals cannot legally become effective until July 1959, and the ultimate outcome of the ten years of effort toward improvement, as well as any accurate analysis of the various reasons for the withdrawals, will wait for the publication of some subsequent his- tory.
OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Several private schools have been carried on in Shelburne at different times, but the records avail- able are very fragmentary, usually only the fact remaining that somebody remembers being told that such a school existed.
About 1839 a school which was a rival of Franklin Academy was started in the home of Colonel Sever- ance. It had two able teachers, but no financial sup- port, and soon closed.
A "select" school for small children was held by Miss Emily Lamson in the 1850's at what is now 61 Main Street. Miss Isadore Pratt had another such school a little later, at the present Baptist parsonage.
For a time Reverend Pliny Fiske, afterward mis- sionary to Palestine, held a private school in Shelburne Center, in the vestry of the First Congregational Church. Tradition handed down in the families whose children attended this school says that he was a won- derful teacher. He died in Palestine after many years of missionary work.
For several years, including 1890, a private school for girls was maintained by Miss Katherine Johnson.
At least two private kindergartens have existed in the town, one conducted by Miss Gertrude Bardwell in the late 1880's, at the north corner of Bridge and Maple Streets; the other by the Misses Alice and Lottie Brown. This school was held for one year in the building opposite the Library, now used by the Boy Scouts.
Other private schools were maintained for a longer or shorter time by Elizabeth Smith Hardy, Caroline Webster Barnes, Marion Packard Severance, Stephen W. Kellogg, and Rolland Howes.
One of the few institutions concerning which we have information was that conducted by H. A. Pratt at "Terrace Top," the so-called "Lawyer Mansfield House," the large house between Main Street and upper Mechanic Street. MIr. Pratt was at one time principal of Shelburne Falls Academy, served thirty years on the school committee, and acted for five years as superintendent of the schools of Shelburne before the town entered the school union. Copies of the prospectus of this school are still in existence.
There is one private school in Shelburne at the present time, formerly conducted by MIrs. P. C. Rob- erts at her home, and now by Mr. and Mrs. Walter C. Richardson. This is a school for children from three years of age to the fifth grade, and has an enrolment of forty pupils. Four full-time teachers are
employed, with three special teachers. The school is a camp for small children during the summer, accommodating forty to fifty children.
SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS IN SHELBURNE
A. L. Safford, 1892-1893
Capt. Charles P. Hall, 1893-1907
Austin R. Paull, 1907-1909
Melville A. Stone, 1909-1912
Arthur W. Smith, 1912-1918
Clinton J. Richards, 1918-1921 Frank P. Davison, 1921-1933
William H. Buker, 1933-1948
Edwin J. Harriman, 1948-1951
Philip MI. Hallowell, 1951-1957 Donald A. Fisher, 1957-
PRINCIPALS OF THE ACADEMIES
FRANKLIN ACADEMY
Rev. David Alden, 1833-1839
Jonathan M. Macomber, 1839-1841
Rev. David Alden, 1841-1842 Ebenezer Dodge, 1842-184+
SHELBURNE FALLS ACADEMY
Lucius Lyon, 1844-1847
Emory Lyon, 1847-1849
H. A. Pratt, 1849-1851 Albion B. Clark, 1851-1853
H. A. Pratt, 1853-1856
Stillman Rice, 1856-1858
E. J. Avery, 1858-1869 D. A. Wilson, 1869-1871
ARMS ACADEMY
J. M. Hipp, 1880
Charles D. Seely, 1880-1883 Hervey S. Cowell, 1883-1887 Frederic A. Tupper, 1887-1892
A. M. Levy, 1892-1893 Kirk W. W. Thompson, 1893-1894
J. W. F. Wilkinson, 1894-1895
C. A. Holbrook, 1895-1910 Samuel E. Marks, 1910-1912
James R. Childs, 1912-1915 James W. Vose, 1915-1917
Stanley W. Cummings, 1917-1919 ( March 1)
James W. Vose, 1919 ( March 1) - 1924 (March 31)
William F. Pollard, 1924 ( April 1) - 1927 (October 1) Lucian H. Burns, 1927-1930
George A. J. Froberger, 1930-1935
Thomas W. Watkins, 1935-1954
Dana E. Drew, 1954-1956
John P. Thompson, 1956-1958 Charles A. Beattie, 1958-
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LIBRARIES
SHELBURNE CENTER LIBRARY
"Captain Walter Wells is introducing improper literature into the town of Shelburne, in an improper manner, and it is my duty as a Minister of the Gospel to put it down." Thus spoke Rev. Theophilus Pack- ard, D.D., at some time in the early 1850's to Deacon Pratt.
Rev. Packard, who was pastor of the old white church in Shelburne from 1799 to 1855, was referring to the Center's first Library, a co-operative book-loan- ing association, which was formed by William and Captain Walter Wells, and was located in the lat- ter's home, now known as the Archie Long place. History tells us that the minister was very much against the reading of novels and did not believe that churchgoers should risk their souls in that kind of literature. Because they were so offended by his words, the Wells family left the Shelburne church to go to Greenfield to become members of a church there. But as the old saying goes, "Time heals all wounds," for when Rev. Packard was old and had no one left in the world, it was the Wells family who came to his aid and cared for him.
This first Library was formed about 1850, and it is not surprising that, at that time, loaning books, especially novels, was quite revolutionary. According to the memory of Mary P. W. Loomis, this Library consisted of about 2000 volumes, and patrons paid three dollars per year for the use of the books. Anna Andrews said, "There were four meetings each year, and we always selected a market basket full of books." The Library contained works of Scott, Thackeray and Dickens, among others, and was representative of standard books of the day. They were selected with great care and were as excellent as could be obtained.
In 1892 an article appeared in the Town Warrant to see if the town would "accept certain provisions which would provide for the establishment and effi- ciency of a public library."
In 1896, the Library was first organized with Mrs. A. A. Newhall, Chairman; George E. Taylor, Jr., Secretary and Treasurer; and Miss Mercy Anderson, Librarian. The Library was then kept in the present Vestry building in what is now the Ladies' dressing room. This room was heated by a small stove, and all of the library books were stored in two small cup- boards. This Library was open to the public three days a week. At a meeting on March 12, 1897, Miss Julia D. Peck was chosen Secretary and Treasurer, and it was voted at that time to pay the Librarian a salary of twenty-five dollars a year.
The beautiful ivy-covered stone building which is the present "Library" to all Shelburne folk was built in 1898 of stones gathered from the Shelburne coun- tryside. It is thought that a town appropriation of $2000 for its erection was slightly exceeded, although the work of gathering the stones was done by the farmers around the Center. George Burnham of Greenfield built the Library while the mason work was done by West Riddell. A small piece of land, little more than enough for the building to stand on, was bought from Rufus Dinsmore for fifty dollars.
Miss Mercy Anderson, who was librarian for 25 years, was a tireless worker and moved the books from the Vestry to the new building when it was completed. She was very fond of reading and did everything possible to help others find good books, often taking books to church for those people who could not come during regular Library hours. Suc- ceeding librarians have been: Mrs. Rufus Dinsmore, Harriet Davis Thompson, Mrs. Lillian Sherman, Hattie Allen Fiske, Mrs. Eleanor Williams, Mrs. Mary Dole, and at present Mrs. Esther Herron, all of whom have endeared themselves to the people of Shelburne by their cooperation and help in making the Library a truly Shelburne institution.
In 1927, the Library was catalogued with funds from the town and State aid. Miss Louise Parten- heimer of Greenfield was assisted in this work by Miss Grace Stetson and Mrs. Harriet Davis Thomp- son, both Shelburne residents. Miss Partenheimer at that time commented favorably on the number of worth-while books in the Library and said that so large a proportion of really good books is seldom found in any small library.
The present board of trustees consists of six mem- bers, two elected each year at town meeting to serve a three-year term. They meet every month to conduct business and choose new books. As this History goes to press, there are 150 readers and 15,000 volumes in the Library. The town appropriates $500 yearly for the running expenses of the Library, besides donat- ing the Dog Tax which is about $225. In addition to this, the trustees have the use of the income from several bequests - the Darwin Barnard, Franklin Barnard, Martha A. Severance Draper, Francis Kel- logg, Abigail Long, James Bush, Helen Bush, Dr.
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Mary Dole and Eleanor Williams funds.
The Bob Williams Memorial Room of Shelburne Library was completed and opened for use the first of January 1953. This room, which serves as a memo- rial to the only boy from Shelburne Center to lose his life during World War II, is used as a children's room.
It is approximately 15' x 20' and was built on the south side of the old building. The outside construc- tion is of fieldstone to match the original building. The inside also matches the older part, being finished with insulating paneling. Facing the road is a picture window, and there is one window on the east side looking out on Dragon Brook. A window of glass blocks on the south side gives light to the room, and to basement stairs. On one side of this window, is the Shelburne Center Honor Roll and on the other, a picture of Robert Williams, his Air Force Citation and a Memorial Plaque.
Robert Bardwell Williams, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Williams, was born in Shelburne, October 24. 1919. He was educated in the Shelburne schools. In 1940 he enlisted in the Air Corps and was an aerial gunner. He lost his life March 6, 1944.
The money for this room was given by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, his aunt, Mrs. Ruth Thomp- son of Hartford, and a cousin, Edith Esterbrook of Boston. Also, part of the Fidelia Fiske stamp fund was used for this construction.
THE FIDELIA FISKE STAMP
That rarities of early stamp issues are still lurking in out-of-way places, was shown in 1938, when Robert Williams, who was Shelburne Center Library janitor, was rummaging through a cardboard box of old let- ters at the Library, and discovered the rare "Hawaiian Missionary." The "Hawaiian Missionaries" got their name from the fact that many of the first issues of stamps of the islands were later found on letters from the early missionaries to home folks in New England.
This Hawaiian stamp of 13-cent denomination is believed by collectors to be one of six in existence. It sold in New York to a private collector, with two others of less value found in the same box, for $2000. From this sum $1500 was turned over to the Library trustees.
The letters were given to the Library trustees with other effects of Miss Fidelia Fiske by Mrs. Laura Clark and Mrs. Clara Andrews, nieces. They were stored in the old chair shop across from the Library for a number of years but were finally moved to the Library building.
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The elementary school children and teachers of Shelburne in 1956 presented to Arms Library a beau- tiful mantel chime clock in memory of Dorothy War- field Geiger; and in 1957 gave the Shelburne Center Library an oil painting in memory of Eleanor Noyes Williams. The picture is an autumn scene, done from the Patten, overlooking the Conway and Deerfield hills.
ARMS LIBRARY
The Arms Library, located at the corner of Main and Bridge Streets in Shelburne Falls, serves the towns of Shelburne and Buckland. This Library was made possible by two benefactors: Major Ira Arms, who gave it its start with a bequest, and Mr. and Mrs. Francis R. Pratt, the donors of the present building.
The Arms Library was established in 1854 when Major Arms agreed to help finance an organization known as the Shelburne Falls Circulating Library Society provided the new Library's facilities be made available to all residents of the Shelburne Falls area. This Society had a membership list of forty men at the time; each paid an initial membership fee of one dollar, which was used for the purchase of books, and an annual fee of fifty cents which might be used for any purpose of the Library. Major Arms gave the new organization, to be known as the Arms Library of Shelburne Falls, four hundred dollars when the agreement was signed; he agreed to con- tribute two hundred dollars annually "during the rest of his natural life"; and to leave three thousand dollars to it in his will. These annual sums were to be used solely for the purchase of books; the bequest was to be kept as a permanent endowment, the income to be used for books only. The bequest finally proved to be five thousand dollars, and the income from the additional two thousand was available for any library purpose.
The management was to be in the hands of a self- perpetuating board of seven permanent trustees ("not more than three . .. shall belong to the same religious denomination") plus two others to be elected annually by the "readers" or dues-paying members. The initial membership fee was to remain one dollar and the annual dues were to be determined from year to year by the trustees ("the assessments on all persons liable thereto being equal.")
Later the endowment fund was increased by sev- eral gifts, notably one by Mr. George W. Mirick, but still there were financial difficulties. At one time the librarian's salary was thirty dollars per year, out of which he paid for light and fuel.
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A turning point in the history of the Library occurred in 1894 when, after considerable urging, the towns of Shelburne and Buckland each appropriated three hundred dollars toward the expenses of the Library. These amounts were gradually increased and the present appropriations are now eleven hun- dred dollars each. Coincidentally with this the facilities of the Library were made available to all residents of the two towns, and the system of fees and dues was discontinued. Some years later the composition of the Board of Trustees was changed: the number of per- manent Trustees was reduced from seven to five, and of annual Trustees increased from two to four. These latter are now elected by the Board instead of by the readers, who had gradually ceased attending the read- ers' meetings.
The books had first been kept in a room in the Bank Block which, in 1879, contained 4800 volumes. At that time the librarian was Mrs. Ozro Miller. Later the books were moved to the Stebbins Block where Mrs. James Halligan served as librarian. When the Memorial Hall was completed in 1898, the Library was moved to rooms there, where it remained until the present building was finished in 1914.
The inadequacy of such arrangements had been apparent for a long time, and early in 1913 Mr. Francis R. Pratt, then of Greenfield but formerly of Shelburne Falls, and his wife, the former Lydia Taft, offered to give an appropriate library building in memory of his parents, Josiah and Catherine Pratt. Construction was soon begun and the building was dedicated in August, 1914. The speaker of the occa- sion was the Rev. O. P. Gifford of Brookline, Mass .. a former resident of the Falls. This service was held in Memorial Hall and the music was furnished by a seven-piece local orchestra under the direction of Herman S. King.
This Memorial Building is an attractive structure of brick and stone, and is an excellent example of small-town library architecture. Heating and storage facilities are in the basement. Except for a small office for the librarian the entire main floor is open, and all of the four distinct parts are visible from the entrance: the lobby itself, the reading room, the chil- dren's wing and the stack room. There are 18,000 volumes conveniently shelved in the building and the capacity could be nearly doubled without changing the architecture. The building is owned by the town of Shelburne, and is under the control of a committee consisting of the chairman of the Board of Selectmen and four from the Library Trustees. This committee also manages a fund given in 1920 by William Pratt, son of the donors of the building, to assist in its maintenance.
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