USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 33
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 33
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" That all the future rents and emoluments arising from said land, be applied to the support of a school for the teaching of the Greek and Latin languages, and any other languages, arts and sciences, which a majority of the ministers, magistrates, lawyers and physicians, inhabiting in the said town, may advise."
* * "That as soon as the funds will be sufficient, a school-master should be procured, learned in the Greek and Roman languages, and if thought advisable, the Hebrew, not to make learned Hebricians, but to teach such young men as choose to learn the Hebrew Alphabet, the rudiments of the He- brew Grammar, and the use of the Hebrew Grammar and Lexicon, that in after life they may pursne the study to what extent they may please. But I hope the future masters will not think me too presumptuous, if I advise them to begin their lessons in Greek and Hebrew, by compelling their pupils to take their pens and write, over and over again, copies of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets, in all their variety of characters, until they are perfect masters of those alphabets and characters. This will be as good an exercise in chirography as any they can use, and will stamp those alphabets and characters upon their tender minds and vigorous memories so deeply that the impression will never wear ont, and will enable them at any period of their future lives, to study those languages to any extent with great ease."
ADAMS ACADEMY.
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It began with twenty-three pupils, six of whom were from Quin- cy. In 1877 it numbered 150 scholars. Owing to this large increase, it was found necessary to erect another building of wood, (which is temporary,) a few feet north of the Academy. Even in these hard times of financial embarrassment, there are about one hundred students connected with it.
The design of the institution, is to prepare boys to enter the best American colleges. The course of instruction is four years. The tuition, together with the endowment fund, enables the trus- tees to employ able teachers. The school has become so pop- ular, that within its classic walls can be found students from many States of the Union. The progress of this Academy has been more successful than its most ardent friends anticipated ; and very remarkably so, too, if we take into consideration that it came into immediate and direct competition with three of the oldest and well-established institutions for the qualification of young men to enter the most noted colleges in New England ; such schools as Andover, Exeter, and not the least among them, the Boston Latin School. Andover, Exeter, Boston Latin School and Adams Academy are now the great feeders to two of the oldest and most noted universities in the country, Harvard and Yale; standing in the same relation to them, that Eaton, Rugby, Harrow and other great schools of England do to the celebrated English colleges of Cambridge and Oxford. Founder's day is yearly celebrated in honor of the birthday of the generous donor, which occurred Oct. 19th, 1735. In accordance with the desire of Mr. Adams, his fragmentary library, presented by him to the town, has been deposited in the hall of this educational building. This flourishing institution is now under the tempo- rary charge of Professor Everett, of Harvard.
Perhaps the reason why Mr. Adams did proscribe Meta- physics in the course of instruction for the Academy, was that he considered it a too speculative or imaginary science, as in one of his letters he says :- " Metaphysics I would leave in the clouds, with the materialists and spiritualists; or, if permitted to be read, it should be with romances and novels."
Although he was a great admirer of classic authors, yet, his opinion of old Plato's works was not very flattering, as the fol-
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lowing comment on this writer, written to Thomas Jefferson, July 16th, 1814, will illustrate :-
" I am glad you have serionsly read Plato, and still more rejoiced to find that your reflections upon him so perfectly har- monize with mine. Some thirty years ago, I took upon me the task of going through all his works. With the help of two Lat- in translations and one English, and one French translation, and comparing some of the most remarkable passages with the Greek, I labored through the tedious toil. My disappointment was very great, my astonishment was greater, and my disgust was shocking. Two things only did I learn from him. First, that Franklin's idea of exempting husbandmen, mariners, &e., from the depredations of war were borrowed from him; and secondly that sneezing is a cure for the hiccough. Accordingly, I cured myself and all my friends of that provoking disorder for thirty years, with a pinch of snuff."-Adams' Works, Vol. X, p. 103.
A large trust fund has been given to Quincy for the purpose of founding and establishing a female institute. The fund at this time, 1878, amounts to $77,816.78. This generous gift was bequeathed by the late Dr. Ebenezer Woodward, a worthy and respected practicing physician of the town who died without issue in 1869. At the time of his decease the town received by this gift something over thirty thousand dollars, and the accu- mulation of which makes the above specified sum. At the death of the two remaining children of the late Thomas Greenleaf, some thousands of dollars more will be added. This institute is to be exclusively for the refined and useful education of young misses and ladies between the ages of ten and twenty years ; none but those who are born in the town of Quincy will be allowed to receive the benefits of this female institute. The management, and all the internal regulations of it, are to be under the control of the settled elergymen of the town, includ- ing the Catholic. The minister of the Unitarian Church is to be the perpetual chairman of the board of managers. For the bet- ter information of the inhabitants of Quiney we give in a note, that part of the will which relates to this subject.1
1. "I give and bequeath to the town of Quincy, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and County of Norfolk, in its corporate capacity, all my real
-
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BRAINTREE SCHOOLS.
The number of public schools in Braintree is fifteen, (except- ing the High School), subdivided as follows :- Pond Grammar, Intermediate and Primary ; Union Grammar, Intermediate and Primary ; Iron Works Grammar, Intermediate and Primary ; East, Middle, South-east, South, South-west and West District Schools; all of which are under the management of female teachers. These schools are attended by over six hundred scholars. The High School is the only school in Braintree that is under the superintendence of a male teacher, and is kept in
estate in the town of Quincy, and all the pews I may own in various meeting- houses or churches in and out of town at my death, with the exception of the homestead where I now live, the portion of the farm of the late Daniel Green- leaf to be hereinafter described, and pew No. 58 in the Stone Temple, as a fund for the purposes to be hereinafter mentioned, to be disposed of or kept, as the town may think proper; the sales, together with the rents, profits and income from whatever source obtained, to be kept as a perpetual fund, guaranteed by the town with six per cent. interest forever, for the purpose to be hereinafter mentioned, viz :- Whenever the income from the foregoing bequest shall be sufficient, in the opinion of the managers of said fund, or at least within twenty-five years after my decease, they shall establish and continne for the town of Quincy forever, a female institute, for the education of females between the ages of ten and twenty years, who are native born, (I wish it to be under- stood, in the town of Quincy, and none other than these to be allowed to attend this institute, ) which I wish to be as perfect and as well conducted as any other in the State.
"The property which I bequeath to the town of Quincy, for these purposes, is to be perpetually managed by the Selectmen of said town, together with the Clerk and Treasurer, for the best advantage of said town, and said institute.
" Whenever the town of Quincy becomes a city, then the government of said city to have the management of said property for the benefit of said city, to be used according to the directions of this will and for the purpose herein mentioned.
"I would recommend that the said town, or city, as the case may be, should choose a committee from time to time, to confer with the above-named officers concerning the best mode of managing said property, and to see that it is not wasted or lost.
"The management of said institute or school, so far as the selection of in- structors and the studies to be pursued and all internal regulations, to be and to remain under the direction of the following gentlemen forever, viz :- The sev- eral ordained and settled ministers of the town, or city, as may be, and all settled ministers to be added to the committee, from time to time, as they be-
45
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the Town House building,1 with an average attendance of fifty- two pupils in summer and fifty-nine in winter, and is under the charge of Mr. Charles E. Stetson.
Appropriation for schools, $7,662.73; incidental expenses for schools, $110.23. These sums are beside the Coddington and other school funds combined. The income of the school fund for the year 1877, was $468.92. The whole amount of school property of Braintree in 1875, was $35,000.
A little north of the Town Hall, nearly adjoining that estate, stands the Thayer Academy, a commodious and well-arranged edifice, built of brick with stone trimmings; a living monu- ment to the great liberality of the late Brigadier-General of the United States Army, Sylvanus Thayer, a native of Braintree. Mr. Thayer, at the time of his decease, bequeathed to his native town $200,000 as a fund to establish a literary institution of a
come residents of Quincy. I mean the Catholic, as well as Protestant, and all who are settled for one or more years and reside in the town of Quincy. I wish no sectarianism taught in the institute, leaving that to parents and the pastor of their choice. The senior pastor of the Stone Temple is to be perpetual chair- man of said board, or committee.
"I wish all the ornamental, as well as nseful, branches of learning taught in the institute or school, which are taught in any other similar institute in the State.
" The said institute is to be located on land given by said donor to the town of Quincy. My present opinion is that the most proper location is nearly oppo- site the Hancock lot, on the farm of the late Daniel Greenleaf; but the said committee, with the Selectmen, Town Clerk and Treasurer, are to decide on what part of said farm the location shall be.
"If the town of Quincy refuse to accept the above property upon the terms herein specified, or fail to comply with the words and intent of this will, as determined by good judges, or should surrender the property, or use it for any other purpose than contemplated in this will, then I bequeath the said property to the trustees of Dartmouth College, to be used by them in the manner they may think best, for the promotion of science and literature."
1. The Town House is a noble structure built of wood, on about five acres of land presented to the town by the liberal and generous donor, Mr. Josiah French, a native of the town, and is located in South Braintree. On the same site is erected a fine Soldiers' Monument, and the Thayer Public Library building.
This Town Hall, where the citizens meet for the transacting of the town's business, was publicly dedicated July 29th, 1858. A procession comprised of its citizens, the public schools, the Governor and other distinguished guests, took part in the ceremonies. The address was delivered by the Hon. Charles F. Adams of Quincy. The building when completed, cost the town, $15,000.
جميلة
一
THAYER ACADEMY.
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high grade, provided that the town would appropriate an addi- tional amount of $20,000. This the town agreed to do.
In 1877, the trustees found that the accumulation of the fund, together with what the town had given, amounted to about $260,000. This they considered sufficient for the construction of the academy; work was immediately begun and the building soon erected at a cost of about $60,000. The academy was opened Wednesday, Sept. 12th, 1877, for the reception of pupils under the superintendence of Professor J. B. Sewall, of Bow- doin College, and two assistants, Mr. Charles A. Pitkin and Miss Anna B. Thompson. Ninety-six candidates were examined, of whom thirty-five were admitted; of this thirty-five, four did not join the class and four returned to the High School.
Whether this is a free endowed institution to the four towns formerly comprising the old township of Braintree, viz :- Hol- brook, Randolph, Quincy and Braintree, we are unable to say. Braintree, at the time she gave the $20,000,1 in conformity with the design of the donor, towards its support, considered it was ; but the trustees, after the construction of the building, informed the town that it was not. This so incensed her citizens that a town meeting was called to talk matters over. The question was finally left as unsatisfactory as it was at the beginning of the controversy, and that was that the town had nothing to do with it. On the part of the trustees it seems to be a sort of an optional institution in reference to the tuition; that is, if the pupils from the four towns referred to, will give notice to the principal at the opening of the school, that they are to be consid- ered candidates for a free scholarship, and make sufficient profi- ciency in their studies and are exemplary in their conduct to the satisfaction of the trustees, no tuition will be charged. "The number of the free scholarships is not limited, and it is intended to make the conditions of obtaining them such as will put them within reach of every youth of good average capacity and faith- ful application, and thus to hold out the strongest possible in-
1. Mr. Thayer's request in his will desiring Braintree to appropriate $20,000, was merely for choice of location; if she refused, then it was to go to any of the other towns that would comply with this requisition in accordance with the seniority of their incorporation.
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centive to a right use of the opportunities afforded by the acad- omy." A tuition fee of thirty dollars will be demanded of all students from Quincy, Holbrook, Randolph and Braintree, who do not thus earn a free scholarship.1 A curriculum of four years has been adopted by the trustees. The design of the institution is to give a finished, thorough and solid education to both sexes, and also to prepare all who may desire to enter college.
RANDOLPH SCHOOLS.
Randolph has made ample provisions for the education of her youth. There are nineteen schools established within her limits, two of which are taught by male teachers-one thirteen weeks and the other twenty-five weeks; the remaining numbers are kept by females. Thirteen of these schools are kept thirty- eight weeks; two, thirteen weeks; one, twenty-five weeks; one, twenty-three weeks. There are seven school-houses, valued at $32,950. In 1876, seven hundred and eighteen pupils attended these nurseries of education. There is also a high school, which is partly endowed and partly supported by taxation. This is called the Stetson High School, in honor of the late Amasa Stetson, a worthy citizen of Dorchester, now Ward . 24, Bos- ton, who gave $10,000, the income of which was to be used towards the support of a school of a high grade for boys. To make this a high school, so that it will meet the requirements of the statute of the State in establishing a school of this grade, the town makes yearly appropriations of certain sums, which are
1. The will of the founder contains the following provisions :- "I. direct * * that such and so many free scholars as my trustees may deem proper, be educated without any charge for their tuition; provided that every such free scholar shall have been born in said Quincy, Braintree or Randolph; or, if not born there, that one or both of his or her parents shall reside in one of said towns at the time of his or her admission, and during his or her continn- ance as a pupil of said academy; and in deciding on the admission of such free scholars, I request that those may be preferred whom my trustees may deem most capable and most industrious-most advanced in learning and most wor- thy, without regard to the pecuniary circumstances of their parents or guar- dians."
1
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SCHOOLS.
raised by taxation, to admit young ladies, which answers the purpose. The amount raised by the town last year for this school, was $950. This mixed support enables the town of Ran- dolph to sustain a high school of seventy-three pupils, under the direction of a principal and an assistant. This educational insti- tution is kept in rooms prepared for it in the Town Hall build- ing.1 The total amount of money raised and paid for the schools of Randolph, for the year 1877, was as follows, viz :- For teach- ing, $6,580.77 ; for the Stetson High School, $950, (this is exclu- sive of the income of the endowed fund of $10,000) ; for fuel, $368.10; for care of school-rooms, $404.75; for miscellaneous expenses, $1,920.89; total, $10,224.57. Besides this amount
1. The Town Hall is a fine, commodious edifice, built of wood, at a cost of $10,000, and is called Stetson Hall, in commemoration of the Hon. Amasa Stetson, who presented it to the town, together with the fund for the school. The hall was formally dedicated in 1842. In it is to be seen a life-like portrait, by Frothingham of Charlestown, of its generous and munificent donor. He also presented the town with $100 to build a face-wall around the old North Cemetery, where his parents were buried. A short time after the establishment of the school, a pleasant episode occurred. One pleasant winter day, the teacher, with his pupils, concluded to visit their old friend at Dorchester, who had so munificently endowed a school for them. They procured a suitable vehicle for the purpose, and started off with all the exuberance of youthful glee. On arriving at Dorchester they were received with the accustomed hospi- tality of Mr. Stetson. After a short, pleasant and social interview, they parted with their generous benefactor by wishing him renewed health, and giving him three hearty cheers, that made the welkin ring.
Amasa Stetson was the son of John Stetson, who married Rachel Paine, of Randolph. Amasa was born in Randolph, March 26th, 1769, and married Re- becca Kettell, of Boston, August 21st, 1798. Mr. Stetson began life as a poor boy, and learned the shoe-maker's trade. He afterwards went to Boston, where he connected himself with his brother Samuel in the shoe business. By strict economy and close application, he here laid the foundation of his large fortune. In the war of 1812, he was appointed by President Madison to the office of Commissary for the District of Massachusetts, and was also chosen by the Democrats as State Senator. During his life, he manifested his liberality by his donations to his native town, and the town of Dorchester, his adopted place of residence, where he presented the Rev. Mr. Hall's church with a fine clock which cost $700. In the town of Stetson, in Maine, which was named after him, he had a church constructed for the use of all denominations. It is some- what singular that the first time the bell of this church was tolled, was for his death. Mr. Stetson's death occurred Ang. 2d, 1844, aged 75 years, 4 months and 6 days, and he lies buried in the Dorchester burying-ground. Mr. Stetson died without issue, and left a large fortune of over $500,000.
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raised by the town was the income of the Coddington fund, of $1,600, in the treasury, and swamp land in Quincy valued at $500. Town appropriation for schools, $9,550. The whole amount of school property in Randolph in 1875, was $32,950.
HOLBROOK SCHOOLS.
The number of scholars attending the various schools in the town of Holbrook, for the year 1876, was as follows, viz :- Sumner Hill Grammar School, 65; Sumner Grammar, 38; Sumner Intermediate, 59; Brookville Intermediate, 35; Brook- ville Primary, 45; Franklin Primary, 111; Lincoln, mixed, 50; Roberts, mixed, 50. Total, 453. Since 1876, the Sumner High School has been established and placed under the superintend- ence of C. HI. Goldthwaite.
The town appropriated $5,000 for school expenses for the same year.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
At the annual meeting, in 1871, the town of Quincy voted to appropriate $2,500 and the dog tax, for the purpose of establish- ing a free library, provided that an equal sum should be raised by private subscription. In accordance with this provision, the town was divided into districts, and committees appointed in them to solicit subscriptions.
By this method the committee was successful in collecting by voluntary contribution $2,694.87, in sums ranging from ten cents to two hundred dollars, from all ages and classes, which insured its success. This amount, with what the town had appropriated, placed in the hands of the trustees the sum of $7,236.37, to begin the library with.
The trustees selected a large room in the Adams Academy, as it had been offered them, free of rent, as the location for the free public library. After considerable delay and disappoint- ment in preparing the rooms for the reception of the books, the trustees were finally able to open the reading room on Dec. 4th, 1871. They began the circulation of books on the eleventh of the same month. In the first forty-three days the circulation of books amounted to 7,050 volumes, which was of an average of about 164 per day. The library began with 4,607 volumes, of which number 2,458 were presented to it, and 2,149 purchased ; the library continued to increase until it now contains 11,000 volumes.
At the commencement of this institution the largest donor was the Hon. Charles F. Adams, who presented the trustees with a valuable collection of congressional and other important public documents, which comprised 1,650 volumes, making this rural library very strong in this department of literature. In connection with this gift, the managers also received from the Quincy Lyceum, 227 volumes; from the Adams' Literary Asso-
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ciation, 215; from the Quincy Agricultural Library,'182; and from the Quiney Book Club, 24 books and 625 periodicals. So great was the interest of the citizens for its success, that at the opening of the reading room, it was supplied with all its reading matter at the expense of private individuals.
In 1874, the trustees of the library were notified that the room in the Academy building was wanted for the use of the school. In accordance with this notification, the trustees engaged the unoccupied Congregational Church, on the corner of Canal and Hancock streets, to which place the library was moved on the 8th of July. Owing to some necessary delay in classifying and re-arranging the books, the library was not re-opened until Sept. 16th, 1874. The Quincy Publie Library is the largest in Norfolk county, with the exception of Brookline ; and if the increased circulation of 1878 continues, it will exceed that in this respect.
During the year 1877, the number of books borrowed amounted to 45,637, which was the largest since the library was opened. Number of days opened to the public, 295
Average daily issue for the first half of the year, 174
Average daily issue for the second half of the year,
135
Largest daily issue for the first half of the year, 477
Largest daily issue for the second half of the year, 406
Whole number of books taken in the first half year, 26,239
Whole number of books taken in the second half year, 19,398
Number of persons holding cards at the close of the year, 608
The yearly circulation of the books of the library have been as follows :-
1872,-44,755 volumes. 1875, 11 months, 34,551.
1873,-40,175 66 1876, 42,968. 1874,-36,049 1877, 45,637.
Miss Abby I. Hails commenced her duties as the first librarian in December, 1871, with Miss Bumpus as an assistant ; owing to ill-health, Miss Hails resigned in July, 1873. Miss Cora I. Young succeeded Miss Hails, and occupied the position as librarian for two years, or until September, 1875, when Miss Mary I. Brooks of the Boston Public Library, assumed charge. She remained about one year, when she resigned and returned to the Boston
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library. Miss Amelia L. Bumpus, the faithful assistant, who has been connected with the library from its beginning, was then engaged by the trustees to take charge of it, and has been ably assisted by Miss Allie G. White.
BRAINTREE LIBRARY.
Gen. Thayer gave a fund to the town of Braintree for the establishment of a free library. The building was completed during the spring of 1874, at a cost of $30,000. This edifice was built of brick with stone trimmings, and is located on the town-house land. Owing to the delay of cataloguing and arranging the books, the library was not opened to the public until Sept. 1st.
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