History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 150

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 150

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1719. The school-house was finished, Mr. Ephraim Bigelow making the furniture, viz., " a table, and seats for the youth to sit upon," for which he charged 12s. School-dames were employed in the out-districts.

1720. Mr. Rohert Pepper was employed to keep the grammar school, for 30 pounds. Voted, "that the school master may have the free use of the school house for himself and family to dwell in, the year en- suing. Voted that the school be kept in 6 distinct places in the several parts or corners of the town." Mr. Pepper was retained till the fall of 1724.

1724. July 21st, voted "that the committee to hire a school master shall first treat with a scholar of the College ; that they treat with Sir James Stone (II. U. 1724), and acquaint him that the town is desirous to enjoy him as their school-master, in case he can comply with their custom, viz., to teach any small children of either sex that may be sent to him, and to remove into the several quarters of the town." He accepted the proposal on condition of receiving a salary of £45; which sum was granted. He con- tinued to be employed for three years.

1727. Mr. James Bridgham (H. U. 1726) was em- ployed to keep the school the present year ; salary, £25; to be kept in six places, the school-house to be one of them.

1729. Mr. Noyes Parris (H. U. 1721) school-master ; salary, £30.

1730. At this date our own sons began to graduate from college, and for a time were put in charge of the school, in preference to strangers. Mr. Phinehas Hemenway, son of Dea. Joshua (H. U. 1730), kept the school this year and the next; salary, £50; school kept in six different places.

1732. Mr. Samnel Kendall, (H. U. 1731), a nephew of Thomas and Eliezer, was our school-master; salary, £48.

1733-34. Mr. John Swift, Jr. (H. U. 1733), school- master; salary, £55.

1735. Mr. Joshua Eaton (H. U. 1735), school-master, salary, £60.

1738. Mr. Chas. Gleason (H. U. 1738), school-mas- ter; salary, £70.

1739-40. Mr. Joseph Buckminster, Jr. (11. U. 1739); school-master; salary, £70; the school was kept in seven different places.

1749. The District System .- The town proceeded this year to divide the territory into nine wards or dis- tricts, viz., the Centre District, which took in all the families living within one and a half miles from the meeting-house, and eight districts in "the out- skirts," each of which was to have its own school.

This movement was a great innovation on the moving school system ; and it gave so great satisfaction that measures were taken to make it permanent. An article was inserted in the warrant for the next May meeting, "To see if the town will choose a meet per- son in each District of the out-skirt schools in said town, to draw their respective parts of money out of the town treasury." And Messrs. Richard Haven, Ebenezer Gleason, Ebenr. Goddard, Joseph Nichols, Thomas Temple, Noah Eaton, Daniel Stone and Bezaleel Rice were chosen said committee, with power "to dispose of the said money in manner as each District shall order." The next step was to build school-houses in the several out-districts. This mat- ter and a re-construction of the districts was referred to a committee, which reported October 22, 1750, as follows :

"1. We find it necessary that there be one school- house in the Centre of the town, or at the meeting- house, according to the former vote of the town :

"2. We find that the out-skirts of the town cannot be divided into less than four schools, and, all things considered, that it is not beneficial to divide them into more. Report accepted.

" T'oted, the sum of £30 10s. 4d. lawful money, to pay for the school-house now built at the Centre.

" Voted the sum of £80 lawful money, to build the four new school-houses i.e., £20 for each ; said houses to be 20x14 feet and 7 feet stud, to be finished work- manlike." District or prudential committees were ap- pointed, viz. : Thomas Temple, Noah Eaton, Daniel Stone and Bezaleel Rice.

The town had failed, for some years, to support a grammar school, and this year was presented by the grand jury, and paid fine and costs, £11 78.

1751-52. Mr. Benjamin Webb (H. U. [743), gram- mar school master, with a salary of £35.

1755. " The town exprest their minds by a vote, that women's schools should be kept at the five school-houses in the summer season, to the amount of half the money granted for the school, and the other half for the support of a grammar school the other half year. Voted that the grammar school should re- move to the several school-houses in manner as here- tofore, until the town give instructions otherwise." Granted £30 for the support of the school.

1757. Dr. John Sparhawk, school-master.

1758. Mr. John Haven (H. U. 1757), was school- master, and continued to teach till 1767.

June 3, 1765. Voted that the town will improve five school-dames, eight weeks each, this year. Voted that the grammar schools be kept in the public school- honses ; and the school be doubled, and that there be

636

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

two masters employed six months at one and the same time, in the winter half year : £65 granted for the support of schools. The same arrangement con- tinued for the three following years.

1768. Toted that each squadron keep a woman's school sixteen weeks in the year, and £25 is granted for this purpose. Voted, that each squadron have the liberty to employ men instead of women to keep the schools above expressed, so long as their money will hold. Mr. James Parker (H. U. 1763), was one of the school-masters this year.

1769. No women's schools were kept this year ; but each squadron was allowed to expend £4 for writing schools.

June 4, 1770. Toted to have one grammar school, to he kept in the several school-houses six mouths, be- ginning in October; and also a writing school for the same time. Voted that Dr. Ebenezer Hemenway open a grammar school at his own house the other six months; and that there shall be sixteen weeks women's school kept in each school-house at the same time. Major John Farrar and Thomas Temple were appointed a committee "to provide a grammar-master." £30 lawful money was granted for the support of the grammar and writing schools. This arrangement con- tinued for three or four years.

In 1774 the town was divided into eight school dis- tricts. In some cases the old school-houses were utilized ; in some they were moved to more central spots ; in others, new houses were built.

May 10, 1790. "The committee appointed by the town to take into consideration the expediency of dividing the town into school districts agreeable to a law passed Jnne, A.D. 1789, Report : that the district lines be hereafter the same that they have been for several years last past, reference being had to the town book for ascertaining said lines."

" Voted, that there be one writing school kept 12 months each year, as follows : in the district including Stone's mills, 8 weeks ; in the north district, 7 weeks; in the southeast district, 53 weeks ; in Salem End dis- trict, 8 weeks, 2 weeks of which to be kept on the Common, if the inhabitants there provide a house for the purpose; in the remaining 4 districts, 6 weeks each. And no scholar shall be sent out of one district to another, without the consent of such district. That a grammar master be immediately engaged for 12 months, and keep school as follows: one month in each of the districts; and no scholar to be sent from one district to another, except those that study Eng- lish grammar, or the Greek and Latin languages. The remaining 4 months the grammar school to be kept in the Centre." £70 was granted for the support of schools.

April 2, 1792. "Voted to have 96 weeks women's schools; 48 weeks grammar school; and 68 weeks writing school, proportioned as they were last year."

The school districts held their annual meetings for the transaction of business, and chose a clerk who

kept a record of the doings of the meetings. The prudential committees, who were nominated by the district at the annual meeting, had charge of the school-houses, provided wood, hired school-dames and drew their respective proportions of school money out of the town treasury. Later, they hired school-mas- ters as well as dames. By the rules adopted by the town in 1800 (see below), the power and duties of prudential committees were much extended. In more modern times the State law made the hiring of teach- ers the duty of the School Committee. But in this town the two committees commonly acted in har- mony, and thus the preferences of each district were carried out.

The district system was abolished by vote of the town in 1866.

School Committees .- In early times the business of providing a school-master, or writing-master, or school-dames, was intrusted to special committees, or the selectmen. When the town was divided into dis- tricts, prudential committees were chosen in each ward. In 1798 the town " voted to choose a commit- tee of five persons, to inspect and regulate the schools, viz. : Jona. Maynard, Esq., Capt. Peter Clayes, Capt. John Trowbridge, Capt. Samuel Frost and Lieut. John Jones. In 1799 the committee consisted of Messrs. Maynard, Trowbridge, Eli Bullard, Esq., Eli- sha Frost and Ebenr. Eaton. But the duties of the committee were not clearly defined, and the relation of this committee to the prudential committees was matter of doubt. And in 1800, Capt. John Trow- bridge, Dea. Thomas Buckminster, Col. David Brewer, John Fiske, Ebenr. Eaton, James Clayes, Elisha Frost, Esq. Maynard and Esq. Bullard were appointed a committee to draw up by-laws for regulating the schools. Their report was as follows :

" 1. That the committee-man of each school district be directed to visit the school the week after it opens, to consult with the teacher whether the scholars are furnished with books suited to the etage of learning in which they are .- And if any scholar is destitute of a hook, whose parents are unable to furnish him with the same, said committee-man be direct- ed to furnish bim, and bring in his account to the town for payment ; but if any scholar be destitute of a book whose parents are able to fur- nish the same, and shall continue withont a book for one week after being visited as aforesaid, said child shall be excluded from the school until properly furnished.

" 2. That it he the duty of the district committee-man to notify the chairman of the Visiting Committee, of the time when the school will close in order that said Committee may regulate their visite accordingly.

" 3. That the Visiting Committee be desired to visit the women's schools, to see that the first rudiments of reading and spelling are prop- erly tanght.

"4. That it be recommended to the inhabitants not to send any scholar to the writing school bnt those who can read words of two syllables by spelling the same.

"5. That each master of a writing school furnish himself with a Bible, and that he read a portion thereof himself, or cause the same to be read in his school at least once a day.

"6. That no work be allowed to be done in women's schools, except the art of Lettering. [This meant working the alphabet, or moral proverbs, with the needle, on 'Samplers,' which were then, and continned to be for the next quarter of a century, the pride of the girls.]

" 7. That the committee-man of each district be directed to see that the foregoing articles be carried into effect."

637

FRAMINGHAM.

In 1801 the town granted $600 for the support of schools ; and voted " that $175 of the same be equally divided between the nine districts; that two-fifths of the whole sum be apportioned for the women's schools, and three-fifths for the master's schools; that no master or mistress be admitted to teach a school without first obtaining the certificates required by law ; and that no scholar be admitted into a master's school unless they are capable of being classed."

By vote of the town in 1802, it was made the duty of the School Committee to examine school-masters and mistresses, and to visit the several schools.

The number of the superintending committee varied from three to nine, and they served without pay. In 1833, through the influence of O. S. Keith, Esq., a man of culture, common sense, thorough knowledge of schools, and devotion to the interests of common- school education-seconded by Rev. Charles Train --- the town voted to reduce the number to three, and to pay each man one dollar per day for his services. This was afterwards increased to two dollars per day. The committee this year were Rev. Charles Train, O. S. Keith, Esq., and J. J. Marshall. In 1867, on the abolition of the office of prudential committee-man, the School Committee was enlarged to twelve. And in 1871 a superintendent of schools was appointed, on whom was devolved the supervision of the several schools, his compensation being a fixed salary. In 1881 the number of the School Committee was reduced to six.

In 1827 the town voted "that the vote passed in 1825, specifying the number of weeks' schooling to be kept in each district by a master, be abolished ; and that each school district be at liberty to expend their proportion of money granted for schooling, as they think proper."

In those days the winter schools were always in charge of male teachers, sometimes undergraduates, who took this method to obtain means to pay college expenses ; but they were largely our own boys, who were educated at the academy. This plan continued in all our districts till 1848. In 1849 the innovation was made of employing females to teach the winter school in Districts No. 1 and 5. The School Commit- tee this year were Carleton Parker, B. G. Northrop and Jona. Aldrich. Other districts soon came into the arrangement, so that in 1855 the change was com- plete, except in No. 8, where Charles S. Whitmore continued to teach for the winter terms of 1855 and '56.

The Schools Graded .- The first attempt to introduce anything like gradation, depending on age or scholar- ship, into our schools, was made in 1831, when in the Centre and at Saxonville the districts voted to have a fall term of eleven weeks, to be in charge of a fe- male, where all the children in the district under ten years might attend ; and all over ten might go to the winter school. The movement proved a success. The number of pupils in the fall at the Centre was 65, in

the winter 63 ; at Saxonville the numbers respectively were 40 and 66. When the Town Hall was erected, in 1834, the lower story was divided into two large and convenient school-rooms, and two departments of the school permanently established. The division of the Saxonville territory into two districts obviated the difficulty of too many scholars, for a time; but eventually both these districts organized two depart- ments.

The systematic grading of the schools in the Centre, at Saxonville and at South Framingham grew up with the necessities of each case.

The grammar school at Saxonville was organized in 1856, at the Centre in 1857, at South Framingham in 1869.

The high schools were established earlier. The one at Saxonville was opened in 1852. It was kept in one of the rooms under the town hall there till 1857, when the new school-house was erected. The high school at the Centre was established in the fall of 1852. As stated in another place, it was the legal successor of the Framingham Academy, and was kept in the academy building till 1857, when the present school-house was built.

The grading of the schools was completed, and a regular course of study for the Centre high school, comprising four years, was inaugurated in 1865, by the committee, consisting of Rev. J. H. Temple, Rev. S. D. Robbins and Rev. Geo. E. Hill. The same course, modified by circumstances, was introduced in- to the Saxonville high school. The School Committee in their annual report for this year, say : " All the schools of the town are now pursuing a uniform, sim- ple and effective system of study-a system which is not a mere theory, nor a forced growth ; but one that has silently and slowly taken shape, to meet the actual wants and the conditions of our schools. There is uniformity of text-books in all the schools of the town ; and all the scholars are doing the same work, in the same way. The mixed schools in the outer districts have each its own classification, and a uni- form grade. The village schools are graded by a com- mon standard : and all of like capacity are working up in the use of the same text-books towards the high schools."

The growth of the town in population has required a corresponding enlargement of the means of educa- tion. New school-houses have been built, and more teachers employed, and the system of management has been changed to meet modern ideas and demands.

The following summary of the report of the School Committee and superintendent for the year 1888-89, will show the present condition of our public schools :

Number of persons in town, between the ages of five and fifteen, April 1, 1888 1620

Number of schools 37

Number of male teachers 2

Nminber of female teachers 38

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Special teacher of music 1

Special teacher of drawing

Number of different pupils attending school during the

year . . 1878

Average number belonging . 1536

Average daily attendance , 1424

Per cent. of average attendance 927.

Scholars by grades-

Number in high schools 133

Number in grammar schools 290

Number in intermediate schools 394

Number in primary schools 858

Number in mixed schools 160

Number in Normal Practice

Evening School .- By vote of the town, $1000 was appropriated for the support of an evening school at South Framingham. This was kept for a term of twenty weeks. Whole number in attendance, 147 ; average attendance, about 70.

The general plan or course of study in the schools of the lower grades covers a period of nine years. The high school course covers four years. Nominally there are two departments in this school, called the English course and the classical course, merged, how- ever, into one, so far as the branches pursued are common to both. The English course is intended to fit pupils for business, for teaching in primary schools and for active life in the best society. The classical course, in addition to the common English branches, embraces the higher mathematics and the Latin and Greek languages, sufficient for admission to college.

Town Grants to Schools .- The following table shows the number of children of school age in town, the amount of money granted for the support of schools, and the cost per capita, at different dates. No return of the number of school children, before 1795, nor between 1801 and 1834, has been found :

Dute.

No. Scholars.

Appropriatim.

Per Scholar. 38. 2d. 3f.

1795 .

618

£100

1798 .

649

$500

77 cts.

1801 .

655

$600

93 cls.

1834.

802

$1300

$1.60

1845.

. 1030

$2500

2.42

1857 .

853

$6000

7.00

1867 .

900

$6500

7,22

1877 .

977

$15,550

15,91

1882 .

990

$18,500

18.68

1888 .

. 1620

$27,176

16.77

FRAMINGHAM ACADEMY .- Early in the spring of 1792, Rev. David Kellogg and twenty-two associates organized as The Proprietors of the Brick School- House iu Framingham ; and built a school house on the west side of the Training-Field, where is now the stone school-house. The house was two stories high, and cost £176 98. 6d. The associates were : David Kel- logg, Jona. Hale, David Brewer, Simon Edgell, Elijah Stone, Peter Clayes, Ezra Haven, Joseph Bennett, Matthias Bent, Jr., John Trowbridge, Jr., Samuel Frost, Jr., Jona. Rugg, John Fiske, Ebenezer Eaton, Thomas Buckminster, Jona. Maynard, Elisha Frost, Barzillai Bannister, Lawson Buckminster, Lawsou Nurse, Samuel Bullard and Andrew Brown. The ob- ject, as stated in the constitution, was " to disseminate picty, virtue and useful knowledge; and establish a

Grammar school in said town, as a school of liberal arts and sciences." The by-laws provided that "no person shall be admitted a member of the Society, unless he sustains a good moral character ; " and that " no person shall be admitted as a preceptor in the school, unless he has received a collegiate education, and been endowed with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in some University." "Every branch of science shall be taught in said school, which is conducive to pri- vate benefit, or of public utility and importance ; . . . a primary regard being had to the initiation of youth into principles of piety and virtue." "Children of both sexes shall be admitted upon equal terms." "The charges of the school shall be levied upon the polls (meaning the scholars)."

October 17, 1793, the Proprietors received deeds of one acre of land for the school-house site, i. e., three- fourths of an acre of Thomas Buckminster, and one- fourth of Samuel Frost. The lot extended on the east to the line of the Common and Training-Field, which line was several rods easterly of the present highway. In 1822 two acres of land additional, and adjoining the other lot, was purchased of Thomas Buckminster, by the academy trustees, all together constituting what is known as Academy Land.

The school was opened November 27, 1792, under the instruction of James Hawley, afterwards tutor in Harvard University.

1n 1798 the Proprietors petitioned the Legislature for an act of incorporation as an Academy; and the town voted to grant $1000 to support the Academy school, i. e., the interest of said sum to be paid an- nually, provided it will exempt the town from keep- ing a grammar school : and provided further that the Legislature will make a grant of half a township of land at the eastward, to the Academy. [The $60 interest was annually paid till 1824, when it was as- certained that such a town appropriation was illegal ; and it was discontinued.]

March 1, 1799, the Legislature passed "An Act for establishing au Academy in Framingham," and ap- pointed the following persons a board of trustees, viz. : Rev. David Kellogg, Rev. Josiah Bridge, Rev. Jacob Bigelow, Artemas Ward, Jr., Jona. Maynard, Jona. Hale, Samuel Frost, Peter Clayes and David Brewer. "And it be further enacted, that the said Academy be endowed with a tract of land equal to one-half of a township six miles square, of any unap- propriated lands within the counties of Hancock and Washington." June 4, 1802, this half township, sit- uated in Washington County, on the eastern boundary of Maine, was conveyed to the trustees, and was known as the " Framingham Grant." This tract of land, which contained 11,520 acres, was sold by the trustees, in 1803, to Jona. Maynard and Samuel Weed for $5000, for which sum thegrantees executed a bond, said bond constituting a fund, the interest of which was applied for the support of the school. Final pay- ment of the principal of said bond was made May 15,

639

FRAMINGHAM.

1833. This half-township was included in the land ceded to Great Britain by the Ashburton Treaty ; and has since been surveyed and located by a claimant, who has been paid for the same by the United States Government.

The academy thus established became an import- ant factor in the social life, the educational standing and the material prosperity of the town. The varied and good fruits of the institution have been ripening for three generations, and are not yet all gathered. It numbers among its alumni hundreds of successful teachers and professional men, embracing the names of those well known in ecclesiastical, political and judicial departments in our own State and through- out the country.

In 1822 the trustees erected a dwelling-house for the preceptor, where is now the High School build- ing, at a cost of $3500.

In 1826 John Trowbridge devised by will a legacy of $500 to the trustees, the interest of which has since been applied, agreeably to the directions of the donor, in aid of young men of this town preparing for college.

In 1837 the original brick structure was taken down and replaced by a stone school-house (now used by the primary school). The cost was $3000.

The school-house was erected in 1853, after plans In 1838 Micah Stone left by will a legacy of $3000, tion of the charge of tuition to pupils belonging to the town. This legacy was recovered by the heirs after the academy was merged in the town High School. prepared by Alex'r R. Esty. The whole cost of the the interest of which was to be applied to the reduc- I building was $12,552. The house was suitably dedi- cated December 15, 1853, and was immediately occu- pied by the school. Subsequently, three and one- half acres of land, adjoining to the first purchase, were bought by the State, and a commodious board- ing-house erected.

By acts of the Legislature, passed May 30, 1851, and March 15, 1852, the trustces of the academy were authorized to convey to the town all the property, belonging to said corporation, including all trust funds, provided the said town shall establish and for- ever maintain, upon the real estate so conveyed, a town High School. The School Committee were authorized to act as trustees, and the town treasurer to act as the corporation treasurer. The Supreme Court decided that this transfer of property to the town, and vesting the rights and powers of the trust- ees in certain impersonal officers, virtually dissolved the Academy corporation. Had the board of trustees continued in the exercise of their functions, and kept proper records, even though the same individuals should hold the two offices of trustee and School Committee, the trust fund would not have been for- feited.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 150

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278