USA > New York > Orleans County > Landmarks of Orleans County, New York > Part 19
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CHAPTER XV.
SCHOOLS OF ORLEANS COUNTY.
BY FREEMAN A. GREENE, A. M.
EARLY SCHOOLS .- The district school in pioneer days was quite un- like the common school of to-day. The neat, well painted, well fur- nished, well ventilated, wood or brick school building now stands where the little log school house stood, with its high desks on three sides of the room, with seats behind for the big boys and girls, low seats in front for the small girls and boys, a big box stove in the center of the room, and the teacher's high desk in one end, usually op- posite the front door. Slate and pencil instead of blackboard, quill pens, made by the teacher, took the place of the fine Spencerian or Gillott steel pens now in common use. Books were few. Daboll's arithmetic, Webster's spelling book, the old English reader and Porter's rhetorical reader, and an atlas with a geography proper separate, used by the older boys and girls, completed the list. Later came Colburn's mental arithmetic, Sanders's reader's, Brown's grammar and Mitchell's geography, still in strong contrast with the beautifully illustrated text books in the hands of every school boy nowadays.
Only small children attended school in the summer season, in winter both large and small. The large boys prided themselves more upon their physical strength than upon their ability to cipher or parse. Physical culture was acquired in those days by wrestling. jumping and running. The teacher must be a man of muscle as well as courage and brains, for the great sturdy, full grown boys too often would pick him up and pitch him out of the door or window.
Mr. J. B. Swett in writing of the district schools of forty years ago tells this true story :
A compactly built man by the name of Harman J. Tilden, now residing in Niles, Alameda county, Cal., was called to teach in the old brick school house, still standing,
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but unoccupied, among the old oaks on the Ridge road, a mile east of Ridgeway Cor- ners. His predecessor had been turned out.
The first morning Mr. Tilden called the school to order, and every seat was filled. That day went well, as the boys were sizing him up. About the middle of the after- noon of the next day six burly fellows rose from their seats and began a march around the big box stove. A mild remonstrance from the teacher was followed with whistling, singing and stamping as they marched. The next instant Mr. Tilden was among them like an untied thunderbolt. He caught one of the biggest by the coat collar and the seat of his pants, and, raising him at arms length over his head, threw him against the other five, who were standing, open-mouthed, watching this wonderful display of strength. As a consequence four of the bullies at once lay sprawled in a heap upon the floor. The other two faced the teacher with fists drawn to strike, and were at once promptly knocked down. By this time the other four regained their feet and started for the door, but Mr. Tilden was there first.
Backing up against the door, he spoke in a very mild and pleasant manner, while a sweet persuasive smile played upon his features.
"My young friends, will you now take your seats and remain there, or shall I be compelled to use force ? I came here to teach and manage this school, and it pains me to find so many of the scholars insubordinate."
Taking out his watch and glancing at it, he continued : "It is now two minutes past 3 o'clock. If you are not in your seats in two minutes and six seconds past 3 o'clock I will proceed to administer to each of you the severest whipping you ever endured." At the word six seconds each one of the bullies started for his seat, and the school ex- ercises proceeded as quietly as though nothing had occurred to disturb them. It is al- most useless to say that Mr. Tilden's success was assured.
The above circumstance shows the condition of the district schools many years ago, for the older boys made it their main business to turn out the teacher it they could.
The general atmosphere of the school was sport and physical de- velopment, rather than mental excellence. Another instance occurs to us where the big boys rose in a mass and filed out in line to carry out the teacher, who pitched three of them out of the window before the rest concluded to take their seats.
Nowadays, we think that it is gambling to play marbles for keeps, but what would we think to see boys and girls gambling for pins in the good old-fashioned way. Who does not remember the little square top with the letters A, N, P and T, one on each square face ? With a good supply of pins and a top all was ready. Each one spun the top, and if A was up when it stopped the lucky spinner took all the pins put down on the desk, chair or floor; if N, none: if T, one, and if P,
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he put one down. All, often including the teacher, engaged in this game, morning, noon, recess and night.
There were many good features in the schools of long ago. Difficult problems were given out, and often days were spent in solving them. Independence of thought and much self-reliance were the result.
The old-time spelling schools awakened a deep interest in this im- portant subject. The school exhibitions and debating clubs aroused ambition in those who became our prominent jurists and statesmen. Often the teacher was a college graduate or a man of unusual ability, as well as a man of muscle, and he would manage a school of seventy or ninety pupils.
Algebra, geometry, physics and physiology were among the subjects taught. Of course the younger children received more attention dur- ing the summer term. Many can remember the large and excellent schools taught by Hon. Abel Stilson, Almanzar Hutchinson, Nelson W. Butts, Hon. Henry A. Glidden and others.
To-day the attendance is much smaller, and the pupils found in our district schools are young. Many rural schools have but six or seven children in them and none exceed forty or fifty. The older children are sent to the village or union schools, a fact that makes the union school stronger and the district school weaker. Too often a young, in- experienced girl of fourteen or sixteen years of age is employed to "keep school," so that the average district school of to-day is not as strong as was the school of fifty years ago.
THE EARLY ACADEMIES AND PHIPPS UNION SEMINARY .- The following are the six early academies with the year in which each was organized :
Gaines Academy, organized in 1827 ; Albion Academy, organized in 1837; Mill- ville Academy, organized in 1839 ; Yates Academy, organized in 1841 ; Medina Academy, organized in 1850; Holley Academy, organized in 1850; Phipps Union Seminary was organized in 1837, just before the Albion Academy.
GAINES ACADEMY, 1827 .- A select school was conducted success- ively by Miss Clarissa Burbank, a Mr. Hooey, Hon. Alamanzar Hutch- inson and others. Gaines Academy, the first in Orleans county, was the outgrowth of this select school, and was incorporated April 14, 1827, and admitted by the Regents of the University of the State of
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New York, January 26, 1830. William J. Babbitt was among the more prominent citizens who secured the charter and promoted the welfare of the school.
The academy was very prosperous for several years, especially under the principalship of Professors Julius Bates and Gazley. Hon. Noah Davis attended this academy one year, and each day walked back and forth to and from his home in Albion.
ALBION ACADEMY, 1837 .- The organization of the Albion Academy in 1837 and its history, are necessarily intimately connected with that of Phipps Union Seminary, for both had a common origin and were built under the same subscription. To Miss Caroline Phipps, more than to any other one person, was due the establishment of the sem- inary, which led so soon to the organization of the academy.
The act incorporating the Albion Academy was passed May 1, 1837. The school was opened on the first Monday of February, 1838, in the basement of the old Baptist Church on Main street (afterwards known as Concert Hall).
The first Board of Trustees chosen were :
Orson Nichoson, president, John B. Lee, Harvey Ball, Roswell S. Burrows, Hugh McCurdy, Freeman Clarke, Abram Cantine, Thomas S. Clark, Franklin Doty, Sidney Burrell, Abram S. Mills, and Alexis Ward.
Hon. Edwin R. Reynolds, then a junior in Brown University, was the first principal. The following thirty-six students were in attendance the first term :
Isaac B. Beadle, Ezra Brown, Wm. C. Burrell, Charles R. Burrows. William Burrows, Freeman Butts, Elias Freer Burns, Ebenezer H. Brink, William Church, Warren Clark Lamont Deland, Norman Davis, David M. Farr, Samuel B. Hard, Henry Wood, Corliss B. Gardner, Aaron Orr, William. G. Swan, Charles Strong, Robert Stockdale, Henry Strong, George H. Ward, Norman Wadhams, Orville Leonard, Thomas Ledyard, Roscoe McConnell, Cyrus F. Paine, Orpheus A. Root, James Rathbun, Achilles Terry, Asher Terry, Oscar Wilcox, George H. Sickels, Francis Ball, William Kent, A. Phillips-36.
Latin, Greek, French, with English and mathematics were among the subjects arranged to be taught. In the fall of 1838 the school was transferred to the second story of a frame building, now standing on the corner of West Bank and Liberty streets. In the fall of 1839, it occupied the then unfinished academy building now used by the Albion High School.
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An entire square of three acres had been purchased in 1839, and on it a four story brick building forty by sixty feet was finished in 1840. The funds for the purchase of lot, and erection of building were obtained in the following manner :
The enterprising citizens of Albion, in April, 1836, raised by sub- scription about $4,500 1 and loaned it to Miss Caroline Phipps, for the purpose of founding Phipps Union Seminary. Miss Phipps gave a mortgage on the seminary property, when the building was erected, for the above amount to secure the loan, which subsequently she paid in full. This mortgage was sold and the proceeds used in the purchase of the acadamy lot and the erection of the building.
The entire cost of real estate, bell, furniture and apparatus was about $6,000.
Mr. Reynolds having been elected to the newly created office of county school superintendent in the fall of 1841, resigned as principal and Rev. Justus W. French became his successor.
Following is a list of the principals and assistant teachers of the academy from 1837, to the establishment of the Albion Union School in 1876 :
1. Edwin R. Reynolds, principal from February 1, 1838, to July, 1840. Assistants, Samuel B. Taylor, Jonathan O. Willsea, Orlina M. Sturges, and James M. Kellogg.
2. Rev. Justus W. French, A. M., principal, 1841-44. Assistants, George W. Coann, since missionary to Persia for thirty-five years; Seth B. Cole, since county judge of Rockland county, N, Y .; Levi S. Fulton, since superintendent of House of Refuge, Rochester, N. Y .; Miss Judson.
3. Associate principals, 1844 to July, 1846, Rev. Justus W. French, A. M .; Edwin R. Reynolds. Assistants, Orlina M. Sturges, since Mrs. Governor J. T. Lewis, Columbus, Wis .; Ann Eliza French, since Mrs. Judge Seth B. Cole; George W. Coann, Nelson W. Butts, afterwards a popular common school teacher.
4. Edwin R. Reynolds, principal fall term of 1846. Assistants, Oliver P. Henion, Martha Stone. Number of pupils in 1845, 232 ; number of pupils in 1846, 258.
5. Frederick R. Ward, A. M., principal from December, 1846, to February, 1848. Assistants, Rev. Justus W. French, for a time ; Veramus Morse, A. B .; Abel Stilson, spring and fall of 1847.
6. Peres Brown, A. M., principal from February, 1848 to November, 1851. Assist- ants, Oliver Morehouse, Mortimer L. Brown, Florilla S. Reed.
7. Hiram Wheeler, A. M., principal with Mr. Brown, 1849 to 1852. Assistants, Ann Clarke, Florilla S. Reed, Emma N. Beebe.
1 See Phipps Union Seminary.
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8. Joel Whiting, principal 1852-60. Assistants, Harriet P. Guild, since Mrs. Dr. William McKennan ; Philana A. Foster, three and a half years ; Frances Thrall, Ann Clarke, Helen M. Baker, Alonzo J. Howe, Oliver Morehouse, Frederick Probst, teacher in German.
9. Franklin S. Lyon, A. M., began fall term 1856, assistant to Mr. Whiting four years, principal to 1864. Assistants, Alma O. Briggs, preceptress ; Helen Prescott, pre- ceptress; Emily H. Grinnell, since Mrs. Samuel W. Smith; Nelson W. Butts, Samuel W. Smith, W. Martin Jones.
10. James K. Bellamy, A. M., principal 1864 to spring term 1866. Assistants, Oliver Morehouse, George R. Smith, since a Presbyterian clergyman ; Morell D. Dusenberre, Ellen Gates.
11. Oliver Morehouse, principal 1866-71. Assistants, Albert W. Morehouse, George W. Buck, Ann Clarke, Lelia J. Wood, Raymond Benedict, John V. B. Lewis, Mary Cauldwell, George W. Billings, Ellen Gates, since Mrs. Deming Sherwood; Sarah Sweet, since Mrs. W. R. Smith. Mr. Morehouse served, in all, twelve years as teacher and principal. Number of pupils in 1867, 368.
12. Theodore T. Chapin, A. M. principal, 1870-74, since professor in Cook Academy, Havana. Assistants, Philana A. Foster, preceptress; Mrs. Mary Jane Prudden, since Mrs. C. F. Curtis ; Carrie R. Baker, Mary Letchell.
13. William T. Mills, A. M., principal, 1874-75.
14. Abel Stilson, principal, 1875.
15. Francis W. Forbes, A. M., principal one year to spring term of 1876.
The general act establishing State Normal Schools in this State was passed in 1866, and its effect, as now well known, was disastrous to the old academies and seminaries.
The State made larger appropriations to these institutions, thus diverting from academies and seminaries a portion of the funds which had been appropriated to them and establishing rival schools. In several places the academies became normal schools. Brockport Collegiate Institute was converted into a normal school.
The tuition and books were furnished free by the State in all normal schools, which the academies could not do. This necessitated the dis- continuance in this State of over eighty prosperous academies. The principle of supporting by tax the common school with its academic department was soon adopted. Only those academies which had a sufficient endowment fund could be self supporting. This gave rise to the establishment of our present system of union schools, which has so generally taken the place of academies.
The friends of the academy were constantly contributing liberally to its support. The following citizens of Albion subscribed for shares, at
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$25 each, in the school property as stockholders, to the amount of $5,850.
Franklin Doty, 5 shares; Harvey Goodrich, 4; C. W. Swan, 5; Hugh McCurdy, 6; Freeman Clarke, 10; Elizar Hart, 2; O. Nichoson, 4 ; L. Burrows, 32; D. Swan, jr., 2; L. Warner, 7; S. Fitch, 2; A. Wall, 1; John B. Lee, 4; P. Dyer, 2; L. Bailey, 2; H. S. Goff, 2; Oliver} Brown, 1; R. S. Burrows, 50; John Creen, 1; Artemas Loveland, 1; I. U. Sears, 1; Christopher Paine, 1; Asa L. Gale, 1; J. A. Lattin, 1; B. Farr, 1; Aaron Phipps, 1; Charles Lee, 1; B. Clapp, 1; Oliver Benton, 1; A. Hyde Cole, 1; William Gere, 1; Arad Thomas, 1; J. Jewett, 1; H. V. Prentice, 1; George Dorrance, 1; S. Field, 1; H. D. Tucker. 1; W. A. West, 1; J. C. Ledyard, 1; E. Platt, 2; Alexis Ward, 22; L. C. Paine, 5; Joseph M. Cornell, 31 ; Z. Clarke, 4; G. H. Sickels, 8. Total, 234 shares.
The above shareholders donated their shares to the village, when the property was purchased by the village trustees in the fall of 1876, for $2,500, provided the village pay a mortgage resting on the academy building of $2,000 and an accrued interest of about $200. The Albion Academy was discontinued in the spring of 1876.
The Alumni Association of the Albion Academy, at whose instance Mr. E. R. Reynolds compiled his invaluable pamphlet, was organized in 1882. Since that time meetings have been held nearly every year, old friendships renewed, and congratulations tendered, and several valuable addresses have been delivered before the association, notably those of Rev. Corliss B. Gardner, of Rochester (1887), Rev. Dr. J. C. French, of Newark, N. J. (1888), Professor Lyon, of Fredonia (1889), and Hon. Rufus B Bullock, ex- Governor of Georgia (1891).
The officers of the association for 1894 are :
Hon. Marcus H. Phillips, Hulburton, N. Y., president; Hon. Samuel W. Smith, Albion, N. Y., vice-president ; E. Clark French, Rochester, N. Y., secretary ; Frank Wood, Albion, N. Y., assistant secretary.
MILLVILLE ACADEMY, 1839-Millville Academy was organized in 1839 and in the same year erected a stone building. It was incor- porated in 1840 under the State laws and recognized by the Board of Regents.
The academy was very prosperous for a number of years, receiving aid from the Regents annually, as high at one time as $2,000. It was very popular and largely attended. In time a new structure was added to supply more room. The first corps of teachers consisted of James F. Cogswell, Charles G. Hazeltine, and Miss Clara S. Montague.
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Hon. John G. Sawyer obtained a large part of his education at this popular institution and always speaks of it in the highest terms. The number of academies in different parts of the county increased and then this institution declined and finally forfeited its charter. District No. 7 of Shelby afterwards used the building for school purposes.
YATES ACADEMY .- Yates Academy, the fourth academic institution in the county, was organized in October, 1841, largely through the earnest and liberal efforts of Peter Saxe, brother of the poet, John G. Saxe. Mr. Saxe was a successful merchant at Yates Center for many years, and was always a faithful friend of education and contributed liberally to the support of the academy.
The academy was incorporated by the Regents of the University in August, 1842.
The first Board of Trustees were :
Peter Saxe, Thomas Jewett, esq., Richard Barry, James Parmelee, John L. Lewis, Philo Warner, B. H. Gilbert, esq., Gen. Grosvenor Daniels, James Lum, Chester Frost, Joel C. Parsons, Warren Chase and Joseph Cady.
Officers of the board .- Rev. Arah Irons, M. D., president; Thomas Jewett, esq., sec- retary ; Peter Saxe, treasurer.
First corps of teachers .- Benjamin Wilcox, jr., A. B., principal ; Silas Gilbert, assistant principal ; Miss Harriet E. Rogers, preceptress; Burt Van Horn, Sluman S. Bailey, assistant pupils.
Attendance first year .- Ladies, 81 ; gentlemen, 80; total, 161. Attendance second year .- Ladies, 114 ; gentlemen, 119 ; total, 233. Attendance in 1845 .- 338.
Teachers of Yates Academy, from 1842 to 1856 as nearly as could be ascertained :
1. Benjamin Wilcox, A. B., principal from August 1841, to June 1845 ; Silas Gilbert, assistant principal, 1841-43 ; Levi Reuben, assistant principal, 1843-46 ; Miss Elizabeth F. Flagler, preceptress, 1841-44 ; Miss Fidelia M. Arthur, preceptress, 1845; Miss Julia Gage, assistant, 1843 ; Miss Adeline E. Nichoson, assistant, 1845; Paris O. Dolley, assistant, 1844.
2. William F. Bascom, A. M., principal, 1845; J. O. Willsea, assistant, 1845; Miss Roxena B. Tenny, preceptress, 1845 ; Mrs. Anna F. Bascom, teacher of music, 1845.
3. J. O. Willsea and Andrew G. Riley, A. B., associate principals, 1846-47 ; J. Collier Cobb, assistant; Mrs. A. F. Willsea, preceptress ; Mrs. H. Gray, teacher of music.
4. William B. Brunnell, A. M., principal, 1848-53; Andrew G. Riley, A. M., M. D., assistant, 1848 ; Mrs. E. L. Bunnell, preceptress, 1848-53; Miss L. M. Clark, assistant, 1848-51; Miss Mary J. Blair, teacher of music; Miss Adalaide M. Harrington, teacher of music ; B. L. Knowlton, A. B., assistant principal, 1850; Charles Fairman, A. B., 25
ʻ
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assistant principal, 1852; Miss Eliza A. McClay, assistant, 1852; Samuel G. Stone, teacher of penmanship.
5. Charles Fairman, A. M., principal, 1853-62 ; William C. Pratt, assistant; Miss Mary E. Tappan, assistant; Miss Jessie H. Pratt, assistant; Mrs. Mary E. Fairman, preceptress, 1855-60; Mrs. Elizabeth A. McClay, preceptress, 1853-54; Miss Eliza R. Eastman, teacher of music; Miss Elizabeth C. Rees, teacher of music; Mr. George R. Frise, teacher of penmanship; Mr. George H. Shattuck, teacher of penmanship; Miss Cynthia A. Weld, preceptress.
The first year, in November, the school was divided into two literary societies, known as the Cleosophic and the Euglossian. These societies met alternately every Tuesday evening in the term for mutual criticism and encouragement. Those two co-organized societies constituted a single association called the Adelphic Union, the object of which was reciprocal assistance in all that pertained to their general interest, as members of the academy.
A quadrennial catalogue of the officers and members of the Adel- phic Union, published in 1845, shows a membership of 565.
The academy was very prosperous for many years, and educated many eminent men and women. Hon. Burt Van Horn, of Lockport ; Chaun- cey H. Lum, of Lyndonville ; Hon. Edmund L. Pitts, of Medina, N. Y .; Hon. Eli S. Parker, of Washington, so intimately associated with Gen. Grant during the Civil War ; Irving M. Thompson, esq., of Albion ; Hon. Myron L. Parker, Hon. Henry M. Hard and Prof. A. B. Evans, so many years principal of Lockport Union School, were among the students here. The first principal was Prof. Benjamin Wilcox, and the last, Prof. Sherman Burroughs. Prof. William B. Bunnell, associate author of Adam's arithmetic; Dr. Charles Fairman, now professor of mathe- matics and acting president of Shurtleff College, Upper Alton, Ill. ; F. A. Greene, A. M., Burr Lewis, A. M., and Augustus Tuttle, were among the principals.
The Board of Trustees for the academic year, 1853-54, contain the names of many of the founders of the academy, and its life long friends.
Grosvenor Daniels, president ; Asahel Johnson, secretary ; Jonathan Blanchard, col- lector ; Henry Barry, treasurer; Worthy L. Mead, Tunis H. Coe, Cyrus Clark, Philetus Snyder, Edwin St. John, Edwin Rockwell, A. Onderdonk, Grosvenor D. Church, Lyman Bates, Daniel Haner, Jefferson Edmunds, James Edmunds, Sherman Dibble, Abner Ray, Burt Van Horn, Henry T. Flagler, and Byron Densmore. Among its Board of Visitors were : Rev. Abel Haskell, Dr. Israel Chamberlayne, Merritt Hard, esq., Hon.
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Samuel Tappan, Prof. Raymond, H. L. Achilles, esq., Rev. James O. Stokes, Rev. E. Savage, and Col. Jasper Grow. Dr. Hervey Blood was clerk of the Board for several years.
Board of Instruction, 1853-54:
Charles Fairman, A. M., principal, ancient languages, mathematics and German ; William C. Pratt, assistant, natural sciences and mathematics; Elizabeth A. McClay, preceptress, modern languages, natural sciences, drawing and painting ; Mary E. Fair- man, teacher of English and French; Gerge P. Frise, teacher of penmanship.
Students came from abroad, so well-known was Yates Academy. They came this year from Connecticut, Vermont, New York city, Il- linois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Canada, and Tennessee.
Attendance 1853-54 .- Males 108, females 107; total, 215. Spring term, 124; fall term, 90; winter term, 125.
Students pursuing ancient languages 6. Students pursuing modern languages 23. Students taking drawing and painting 31.
Board in good families at $1.75 per week, including all expenses.
Academic year embraced three terms of fourteen weeks each. Tuition per term : Primary department, $3.00; common English, $4.00; higher, $5.00; ancient languages, French and double entry book-keeping, $6.00. Extras per term: Spanish, German, Italian, and drawing from cards, $2.00; crayon and other fine drawing, $4.00; paint- ing in water colors, $6.00; painting in oil colors, $10.00; music, $8.00; incidental charge, 25c; penmanship by a master, for twelve lessons, $1.50.
This institution for forty-eight years educated many young men and women for college and for life, and was the last academy in the county to surrender its charter. The last Board of Trustees consisted of :
E. E. Woolston, president; Edward L. Brininstool, secretary ; Stephen A. Coe, A. B. Millis, John W. Day, Chauncey H. Lum, Walter A. Tuttle, Henry E. Breed, David Coon, Henry H. Vosseler, Charles Pettis and Hon. Henry M. Hard.
In 1886 it was combined with the district, and in 1889 the academy was discontinued. The building has since been unoccupied.
MEDINA ACADEMY, 1850 .- Medina academy was incorporated by special act of the Legislature in 1850. The authors of this act were wise in establishing this academy on a solid basis. The schools of the village still continue under the same organization, known as the joint district number twelve of Ridgeway and Shelby. The trustees appointed under this act were: Christopher Whaley, Silas M. Burroughs, John Ryan, Daniel Starr, Isaac M. Swan, and Archibald Servoss, who consti- tuted the first Board of Education of the village of Medina. They
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were granted the power to establish and organize a classical school to be known as Medina Academy, with the same obligations and privileges of any other academy incorporated in the State. A three-story stone building was built on a lot, donated by Hon. Silas M. Burroughs, at the head of Pearl street, and fronting on Catharine street, where the present academy building now stands.
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