USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Greenfield > History of Greenfield : shire town of Franklin county, Massachusetts, Vol. I > Part 46
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587
SCHOOLS
1794-1800]
school money in the following manner that is to say two thirds of said money be divided on the schollar and the other third on the Districts according to what they pay."
January 2, 1795. " Voted to establish a new District for schooling in the south part of the meadows the bounds to be as follows : To extend north as far as Joseph Wells Salvanus Nashes and Thomas Billings and to include Frederick & Enos Denio and Daniel Nash."
" Voted that Mrs. John Graves Uriah Martindale and Sim- eon Nash have liberty to send their children to any District in town and the District whare they send their children shall have the benefit of their proportion of money raised by the Town for schooling provided they notify the committee of the District whare they propose to send their schollars the en- suing year previous to the annual Dec" meeting in sd year."
The town also reconsidered the vote to raise seventy pounds and reduced the amount to forty pounds and directed that it be divided " one half on the District according to what they pay and the other half .on the scholar." The town di- rected that " the south part of the new District expend their money in the south District the north part of said District expend their money at Mill Brook school the present year."
December 7, 1795. " Voted to raise two hundred dollars for the use of schooling."
The town for the first time uses the new term for the des- ignation of currency.
Two hundred and sixty dollars was raised for schooling in 1796, and sixty dollars for the use of a singing school.
1797. The same, for schools.
1798. " The same, for schools, and thirty dollars for singing school.
1799. Three hundred dollars was raised for schooling.
I800. The town raised three hundred dollars for school- ing, to be divided, one half upon the estates and one half upon the scholar.
588
SCHOOLS
[1800-1820
1801. The same.
I802. The same.
1 803. Three hundred and fifty dollars raised for school- ing.
1804. Three hundred and fifty dollars for schooling and sixty dollars for the " encouragement of singing."
" Voted to hire a master to teach a singing school in town two months the following winter."
From 1805 to 1813, three hundred and fifty dollars was raised each year for schooling.
December 5, 1814. "Voted to raise three hundred & fifty dollars for the support of schooling to be divided one half equally on all the Districts calling the street District two, & Fall river District half a District & the other half to be divided equally on all the scholars."
December 4, 1815. "Voted to raise the sum of three hundred and fifty dollars for the support of schoolling the year ensuing, to be divided wholly upon the scholars from ยท four to sixteen years of age."
1816. Three hundred and fifty dollars for the support of schooling. The schoolhouse on School street was built this year (now the house of George W. Avery).
December 18, 1817. "Voted that the sum of 400 dollars be raised for the support of schools, and that said money be divided one half upon the scholar and one half upon the list."
1818. The same amount was voted and that it be divided upon the scholar.
1819. The same amount and the same division.
In 1820-21-22, four hundred dollars was raised for schools, which was to be divided one half to the children between the ages of four and sixteen years, and one half on the valuation list.
Joseph Babcock, Jr., was teacher of the village school in 1819-20. He was paid $23.00 per month. Miss Mary Ann
589
SCHOOLS
1820-1845]
Ripley was his assistant, and she received $3.00 per week. In 1823 a general school committee was chosen, which was the first time such action was taken. The town each year chose a " prudential committeeman " in each school district, and generally empowered them to employ their own teachers. Five hundred dollars was raised in 1823-24. In 1825 five hun- dred dollars was raised to be divided on the scholars be- tween four and sixteen years of age. In 1826 five thousand five hundred dollars was raised for schools, and the same amount in 1827. November 29, 1827, the Log Plain schoolhouse was burned. June 9, 1828, the town was divided into seven school districts. In 1829 a new schoolhouse was built in the Log Plain district. Rufus S. Phillips was the builder and was paid $217.94. Mr. Phillips also built the schoolhouse in the Country Farms district in 1828. For this he received $226.76. Both these buildings have been re- placed by new ones. In 1830 the amount was increased to $600, and in 1832 to $700. In 1827 it was voted not to choose any superintending committee, but certain men in each district were chosen to "draw the money for the schools." Eight hundred dollars was raised each year from 1834 to 1838, and in the latter year Nash's mills district was set off from the centre district (No. 6), and an effort made to divide the Log Plain district which succeeded in 1840, when the " North- east " district was established (No. 8). One thousand dol- lars was raised in 1838, and in 1839 the village district was empowered by the Legislature to raise money by taxation in addition to the amount allotted to it by the town. In 1841 $1,000 was voted by the town, and James Newton was set off from District No. 2, to No. I. In 1842 the town voted $ 1,200 and ordered it to be divided, one half on the scholar and one half on the valuation, and that the money received from the state school fund be divided in the same manner. The town voted $1,200 each year until 1849 when the sum was increased to $ 1,500. About 1845 the boys in the old
590
SCHOOLS
[1845-1857
Fellenberg schoolhouse heard that a steamboat had arrived at Cheapside. No boys in these parts had ever seen a steamer, and as a matter of course they were desirous to take it in. So they applied for permission to go down to see the boat, but the pedagogue refused. About twenty of them lighted out for Cheapside, well knowing what to expect when they returned. They saw the steamer, and with satisfied curiosity footed it back to school, pealed off their jackets and took a flogging. One bright lad said it was an exhibition of jackass power instead of steam. In 1851, $1,000 was to be divided one half on the scholar and one half on the valuation, and $300 divided on the scholar and $200 to be left with the gen- eral committee to be divided as they saw fit. In 1852 a com- mittee was chosen to take into consideration the subject of establishing a high school. In 1854, $1,500 was voted for general school purposes and $700 additional for a high school to be kept a part of the year at Nash's mills.
One thousand five hundred was raised for the support of schools in 1856, the village district to take one half of all the school money. Six hundred dollars was raised for the high school and a committee was chosen to consider the subject of building a high schoolhouse, or procuring some suitable place for the school. In 1856, $2,000 was raised for the common schools, and $800 for the high school. It was also voted that the fall term of the high school be kept at Nash's mills. A primary school was kept in the old Birge building, on School street.
Two thousand dollars was voted in 1857 for common schools, to be divided upon the scholar as between the village and the out districts, and that the portion going to the out districts be divided equally between them, and the state money apportioned by the general school committee as they think proper. Upon the recommendation of the committee ap- pointed to locate a high school building, the town purchased a lot at the corner of Chapman and Pleasant streets where
591
SCHOOLS
1857-1867]
F. B. Felton now resides, but at a subsequent town meeting an adjournment was taken "to view the premises," and after such view the town voted to sell that lot and purchase lots Nos. II and 12 of the Chapman estate instead, and build a high schoolhouse thereon. N. E. Babbitt built the Chapman street schoolhouse for $3,500. Five hundred dollars was raised for the high school for the year. 1858. Two thou- sand dollars raised for common schools; one thousand two hundred dollars for the high school. The lot north of the new high schoolhouse was purchased for $ 125. 1859. Three thousand four hundred and fifty dollars raised for school pur- poses, $1,800 for the high and an intermediate school ; $800 for No. 1, $800 to be divided equally among the other dis- tricts, and $50 for the school committee to divide as may seem best among the out districts.
Three hundred and fifty dollars was also raised for the fur- nishing of the new high schoolhouse.
1860. Two hundred dollars for the high and intermediate schools, and $1,600 for the common schools.
1861. The same appropriations were made.
1862. One thousand dollars for high and intermediate and $1,600 for the common schools.
1863. The same amount was raised. "Voted that we do not abolish our present school districts but will maintain them as they now are."
1864. One thousand three hundred dollars raised for the high and intermediate schools, and $1,600 for the common schools. Voted not to abolish the district system.
1865. One thousand eight hundred dollars for high school and $2,200 for the common schools.
1866. The same.
1866. June 24, raised $1,000 to repair the high school- house and the town hall
1867. One thousand eight hundred dollars for high school and $2,400 for common schools,
592
SCHOOLS
[1767-1873
1868. Two thousand dollars for high and $2,400 for common schools.
In the spring of 1869, the school district system was abolished by law in Massachusetts, and all the property of the several districts became the property of the town. A tax was raised to purchase the same from the taxpayers of the several districts. A committee of the town appraised the property of the several districts as follows : District No. 1, $4,000 ; No. 2, $45; No. 3, $415; No. 4, $850; No. 5, $371 ; No. 6, $415; No. 7, $160; No. 8, $30 and No. 9, $300; total, $6,586.
At the March meeting the town raised $2,000 for the high school and $2,400 for the common schools, and at the April meeting and the passage of the law abolishing the districts, $2,500 additional was raised and $200 for repairs.
At the March meeting in 1870, $7,300 was raised for gen- eral school purposes ; $1,200 for repairs out of the village and $200 for carrying children to school.
1871. Seven thousand three hundred dollars for general school purposes and $1,500 for a new schoolhouse in the lower meadows. The town appointed a committee to report upon the expediency of building one or more new school- houses in the village district. At a meeting held Septem- ber 9, 1871, the town voted to purchase the Sparhawk lot and build thereon a high and grammar schoolhouse and con- vert the old high schoolhouse into primary and secondary school uses, and to build two new primary schoolhouses in other places. Daniel H. Newton, Dr. A. C. Deane and Chester C. Conant were elected a building committee.
Seven thousand five hundred dollars was paid to Solon L. Wiley for the Sparhawk place, and the total cost of land and buildings appear to have been $28,700.
1872. Seven thousand five hundred dollars was raised for the support of schools.
1873. Ten thousand five hundred dollars raised for
1873-1877]
SCHOOLS 593
schools. Voted to build new schoolhouses in district No. 7 and district No. 8, for which the sum of three thousand dollars was raised.
June 24, 1873. One thousand dollars raised to grade and complete about the new high school building. Five thousand five hundred dollars for repairs on the old high school building.
A new location was selected for the schoolhouse at Log plain. The old building stood on the west side of the stage road just north of the Barton road.
October II. Selectmen were authorized to deed the old schoolhouse lot in District No. 4, to Alonzo Graves.
1874. Ten thousand five hundred dollars for the support of schools.
1875. Nine thousand dollars for schools, and $500 for repairs.
Reverend John F. Moors having declined further service as school committee the town passed a resolution thanking him for his " able, long-continued services as a member of the school committee of the town."
Voted that the school committee be authorized to build a schoolhouse on Union street at an expense not to exceed $2,000 all furnished.
1876. Ten thousand dollars for schools ; $300 for repairs.
Voted to build a primary schoolhouse on the north end of the old Fellenburg lot, and another on the Union street lot, and that $7,000 be raised for such purpose. A. H. Wright, D. S. Simons and J. P. Felton were chosen a building com- mittee, and were authorized to make such disposition of the old Fellenberg building as they think best, the selectmen approving.
1877. Ten thousand dollars for schools and $200 for repairs.
Voted to sell the lot purchased from the Newtons between the Shelburne and Colrain roads, at the west end of Main street.
38
594
SCHOOLS
[1877-1887
1878. Nine thousand dollars for schools.
1879. Eight thousand dollars for schools.
The building committee reported the total cost of the Main street schoolhouse to be $5,746.88, and of the Union street $1,667.63.
1880. Eight thousand seven hundred dollars for schools, and $300 for repairs.
Four hundred fifty dollars was raised to finish off the hall in the high schoolhouse, and $50 to cause the doors on that building to swing outwards.
188I. Ten thousand dollars for general school purposes, and $600 for repairs.
1882. Ten thousand dollars for general school purposes, $600 for repairs and $ 500 for arrearages.
1883. Ten thousand dollars for general school purposes, $600 for repairs and $350 for music.
1884. Eleven thousand dollars for general school pur- poses, $600 for repairs, $350 for music, $250 for fence around high school grounds, and $1,416 for finishing the hall in the high schoolhouse.
1885. Eleven thousand dollars for general school purposes ; purchase of books under new law, $1,500; repairs, $600; music, $350 ; for text books already purchased, $1,800 ; for transportation of pupils, $200 ; care of Fellenberg lot, $50 ; to grade Chapman street lot, $300 ; to build a wing on the north side of the high school building on Pleasant street, $9,000.
At a subsequent meeting the committee, A. H. Wright, L. G. Barton and E. E. Lyman, were directed to build a separate building on the high school lot, and the appropriation was transferred to the new purpose.
1886. Eleven thousand dollars for general school purposes, $1,500 for books and supplies, $600 for repairs, $300 for music, $400 to build concrete walks on school grounds.
1887: Twelve thousand five hundred dollars for general
595
SCHOOLS
1887-1893]
school purposes, $1,500 for books and supplies, $600 for repairs, $350 for music.
1888. Raised for schools, $15,350, for finishing off a labratory in the high school building, $200.
The school committee were authorized to make some arrangement to supply water at districts No. 4 and 5.
An effort was made to have the committee employ a super- intendent of schools, but it failed. One thousand four hundred and twenty-five dollars was raised to build an additional room at the Union street schoolhouse.
1889. Twelve thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars for general school purposes, $2,000 for books and supplies, $1,500 for repairs, $4,062.51 for old unpaid bills, $925 more for Union street building operations, $500 for ventilation of schoolhouses.
1890. Twelve thousand four hundred and fifty dollars for general school purposes; books and supplies, $ 1,600; repairs and furniture, $ 1,200; music, $ 350, and the balance in hands of committee, $ 2, III.II ; for egress at Chapman street school- house, $6 00 ; for ventilation of schoolhouses, $ 1,000.
1891. Thirteen thousand five hundred dollars for general school purposes ; books and supplies, $ 1,700; repairs, $1,800 ; music, $ 350; for heating school buildings, $ 2,200.
1892. Fourteen thousand five hundred dollars for general school purposes ; for books, etc., $ 1,700; repairs, $ 1,800 ; music, $ 350; for heating apparatus at high school building, $ 2,000 ; for grading Chapman street lots, $ 200 ; for the pur- chase of the Emerson lot on Chapman street, $ 800; for the purchase of the George W. Potter place of Federal street for a new high school lot, $ 6,700 ; for the purchase of a lot on Franklin street extension, adjoining the Potter lot on the east, $ 1,200 ; for a primary school lot on Pierce street, $ 1,000.
1893. The school committee are instructed to employ a school superintendent, and $ 1,500 is appropriated for that purpose. Fifteen thousand dollars for general school purposes ;
596
SCHOOLS
[1893-1897
$ 1,800 for repairs and furniture ; $ 350 for music ; for district school buildings and grounds, $ 500 ; for high school build- ings and grounds, $ 1,000 ; for School street building, $ 500.
1894. "Voted that the town will build a schoolhouse on the Federal street property the ensuing year." Twenty-five thousand dollars was voted for this purpose. J. H. Sander- son, B. B. Noyes and D. P. Dame were appointed building committee. Twenty-two thousand four hundred dollars for general school purposes ($ 1,650 of this being for salary of the superintendent) ; $ 5,000 for Pierce street primary school- house. S. B. Slate, F. A. Pond and D. P. Dame were ap- pointed building committee.
1895. Sixteen thousand dollars for general school pur- poses ; $ 2,400 for books and supplies ; $ 1,800 for repairs ; $ 500 for apparatus ; $ 300 for transportation ; $ 300 for inci- dentals ; $ 300 for transportation of pupils ; $ 800 for heating Union street schoolhouse ; $ 700 for grading Pierce street schoolhouse lot ; $ 300 for manual training school ; $ 100 for truant officer ; $ 5,000 additional for Federal street school- house.
1896. Eighteen thousand dollars for general school pur- poses ; $ 1,800 for repairs and furniture ; $ 2,400 for books and supplies ; $ 100 for apparatus ; $ 500 for music; $ 300 for transportation ; $ 600 for boiler at School street house ; $ 500 for penmanship department ; $ 500 for business depart- ment; $ 500 for incidentals : $ 100 for truant officer ($25,300); $ 5,000 additional for the Federal street building. Cheapside having been annexed, $ 1,900 was voted for the support of schools in that territory.
1897. Twenty thousand two hundred and fifty dollars for general school purposes ; $1,750 for salary of superintendent ; $1,800 for repairs ; $2,550 for books and supplies ; $100 for apparatus ; $500 for music ; $600 for transportation and tuition ; $600 for manual training; $500 for penmanship ;
597
SCHOOLS
1897-1900]
$100 for truant officer ; $500 for incidentals ; $800 for busi- ness department ; $600 for evening school.
1898. School salaries, $23,170 ; evening school, $600; repairs, $1,800 ; books and supplies, $800; janitors, etc., $1,700; fuel, $1,800 ; apparatus, $100 ; transportation, $850; incidentals, $900 ($33,720) ; $6,200 raised to build a new schoolhouse in District No. 6.
1899. School salaries, $23,170; repairs, $1,800 ; evening schools, $300 ; books, etc., $2,800; care, $1,700; transpor- tation, $800; incidentals, $900. By vote of the town ten feet was sold from off the north end of the old Fellenberg school lot.
1900. School salaries, $24,700; repairs, $1,800; books, etc., $2,700 ; care, $2, 100 ; transportation, $750 ; fuel, $2,100 ; incidentals, $600; evening school, $425 ; additional for trans- portation, $600 ($35,875).
Willard, in his history says, "The first and for many years the only schoolhouse in town, it is believed, was at the lower end of Main street where Mr. Lamb lives." His book was published in 1838. I find that William Lamb owned the lot ten rods deep and four rods wide, where the house now owned by Mrs. Cornelia Day stands (8 Main street). On this lot or the next one east stood the Shubal Atherton fort. About 1869 I uncovered a portion of the underground passage lead- ing north from the old fort, on the line between these lots. I am of the opinion that the Atherton fort served the town as a schoolhouse.
Undoubtedly deeds were executed to the lots where the first schoolhouses were built, but probably ran to the districts or "squadrons," and the records are not now to be found. There was a schoolhouse near the meetinghouse as early as 1795, as it is referred to in descriptions of lands. In 1796, Daniel Forbes conveyed the land on Federal street to a num- ber of the principal citizens of the town, on which stands the store of M. R. Pierce and Peck. Here they, as public spirited
598
SCHOOLS
[1796-1902
citizens, erected a schoolhouse, and afterward the shares were bought up by Oliver Wilkinson, who used the building for mercantile purposes. It was burned in the disastrous fire of 1826.
A schoolhouse was built in the north meadows in 1800. The records of that district are in the hands of its last clerk, O. H. Bass, who kindly loaned them for my inspection.
SCHOOL HOUSE ON SCHOOL STREET
The south schoolhouse (now the property of George W. Avery, School street) was built in 1816, on land deeded by Beriah Willard. The total cost was $1,263.60 and bills were paid to the following persons :
Capt. A. Ames
. $ 18.75
1
Elihu Severance
22.25
Timothy Hall 18.29
Jerome Ripley & son
2.10
Eliel Gilbert
12.34
Nathan Draper
.50
Pliny Russell
1.00
George Grennell
6.39
John Russell 1.00
Samuel Pierce
19.10
Jona Pierce
1.88
Ebenr Tucker
44.64
Joseph Chapman
163.63
Guy Bardwell
25.24
Joseph Stebbins, Jr.
6.95
Mary Swan
18.34
Calvin L. Munn
I 57.49
Capt. A. Morgan
27.87
Lyman Kendal
41.97
Beriah Willard 5.60
Richard Dunn
254.78
Hart Leavitt
26.04
Oliver Wilkinson 122.04
David Ripley
210.19
E. Alvord, 2d
2.67
Franklin Wells 3.00
43.55
Sam1 Wells
6.00
E. Newcomb, Jr.
$1,263.60
.
.
599
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING BURNED
1902]
On the 2d day of September, 1902, the fine new high school building on Federal street was set on fire by some evil disposed person, and all but the east, north and west walls of the building were consummed, entailing upon the town a loss of at least $30,000.
A committee of the town reported favoring the acquisition of the adjoining lot upon the north, and the rebuilding of an enlarged schoolhouse, using the old walls so far as they were feasible in the new building, upon plans furnished by Gardner & Gardner, of Springfield.
CHAPTER XLII
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
FELLENBERG ACADEMY
I N June, 1828, Reverend Titus Strong and L. Tenney ad- vertised that they would open a school for boys at the Hart Leavitt place, opposite the Episcopal church in Greenfield (now the W. E. Traver place). Whether or not this was the same school to which James Henry Coffin came as master in August, 1829, I do not know. Mr. Coffin be- came one of the most celebrated meteorologists of the gen- eration in which he lived. He was born in Williamsburg, Mass., September 6, 1806. When he was fifteen he went to live with his uncle, Reverend Moses Hallock, of Plainfield, where he fitted for college. Being largely compelled to earn his money for his education, he was five years in college, grad- uating in 1828. The next season, as stated, he opened a pri- vate school for boys at Greenfield. After three months trial, he added a boarding house to the school, and the next year hired a farm of about two hundred acres and a farmer to su- perintend it, and annexed this as a manual labor department to his school. The pupils were to share in the profits of the farming operations. His management met with such success that a joint stock company was formed with a capital of eight thousand dollars, which was incorporated February 25, 1832. The persons named in the act of incorporation were Wales Tileston, Samuel H. Reed, James H. Coffin, Ansel Phelps, Elijah Alvord, Hooker Leavitt and Franklin Ripley, the cor- porate name being The Fellenberg Academy. At one time
600
601
FELLENBERG ACADEMY
1828-1838]
the number of pupils reached one hundred and nine. April 16, 1832, a committee consisting of Elijah Alvord, Alanson Clark, Franklin Ripley, Ira Arms and Roger H. Leavitt called for proposals for a building seventy-three by thirty-nine feet, three stories in height, to be built of stone "like Russell's factory with a cellar under all." The building was, when erected, made of brick. The popularity of the school was such that it became impossible for Professor Coffin to teach and superintend all departments, and the directors hired a man to take charge of the farm and board- ing house. Professor Coffin's friends contended that here was the fatal mistake ; the man proved incompetent and kept no proper accounts, and two years later it was found that two or three thousand dollars had been sunk in this department. Soon the school went into a decline and Mr. Coffin left, car- rying away with him only about two hundred dollars worth of furniture, to show for eight years of hard labor. The Fellen- berg farm consisted of about one hundred and twenty acres in the village, extending about fifteen rods westerly from the Elm house property on Main street, thence northerly and westerly to Elm street; thence northerly to a corner ; thence easterly to a corner near the present Chapman street ; thence southerly to the present Elm house property ; thence westerly and southerly to Main street. There was also forty-two acres on Petty's Plains. In 1833 the Fellenberg people sold a strip ten feet wide on Main street and twelve feet wide at the north end and twelve rods and six links in length, to George Gren- nell, who then owned the Elm house property, the strip pur- chased adjoining him on the west, under the condition that no building should ever be erected thereon. The remainder of the farm was sold in 1836 to Daniel Wells, and Wells street was located through it. The Village School District purchased the academy building and about one acre of ground Decem- ber 7, 1838, and it was for many years the only school build- ing in the village. The Fellenberg school was organized in
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