USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 2 > Part 22
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"As respects schools, previous to about the year 1770, they were but little thought of; there were in my neighborhood three small schools, perhaps about a dozen scholars in each. Their books were the Bible, spelling-book, and primer. One kept by John Foster, Esq., in his office ; one by Dr. Benjamin West. Their fees were seven shillings and sixpence per quarter. One kept by George Taylor, Esq., for the church scholars. He, it was said, received a small compensation from Eng- land. Besides these, there were two or three women schools. When one had learned to read, write and do a sum in the rule of three, he was fit for business. The Rev. James Manning did great things in the way of enlightening and informning the people. Schools revived by means of his advice and assistance. Previous to him it was not uncommon to mect with those who could not write their names."
The cause of education was almost wholly at a standstill during the Revolution, after which the work of John Howland and the Mechanics'
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Association of Providence, and of other earnest workers in other parts of the State, led to a period of advancement that was ushered in by the passage of the act to establish free schools in February, 1800.
This act met with intense opposition in many parts of the State outside of Providence, and was finally repealed in 1803. On June 17, 1801, instructions to members of the Assembly from various towns against the bill were read, and a motion was made for its repeal.1 The provisions of the law were not enforced in a majority of the towns, and its repeal followed. To this action Providence paid no heed and continued the upbuilding of its free school system. During the suc- ceeding twenty-five years Rhode Island at large had no public school system; but there were private schools almost without number, of all descriptions, and supported in various ways. It would seem that every person possessing a shadow of the qualifications of a good teacher opened somewhere a private school. Very little information is now obtainable of most of these. In his "Early Recollections of Newport, R. I.", Rev. George G. Channing describes the school of Mrs. Sayre and her daughter Betsy, which was situated near the corner of Mary and Clark streets, in a low, square chamber on a second floor, and without furniture, desks or chairs, excepting a few for teachers or visitors. The children were supplied by their parents with round blocks of wood of varied height on which to sit. A dark closet was used as a temporary prison for disobedient scholars. Mrs. Sayre was re- membered as an excellent teacher. Mr. Channing mentioned also a classical school where John Frazer, a Scotchman, taught Greek, Latin and mathematics ; it was situated in New Church lane. Clarke Rod- man had in his own house in Mary street a quite large school for boys and young men of the south end; and a Mr. Knox taught poor young children the rudiments in a small building in rear of Trinity church.
Most of the schools mentioned by Mr. Channing were probably open only to boys. A Miss Vinal, "lately from Boston", announced in the Mercury of April 22, 1794, the opening of a school at the house of William Coggeshall, where she would be "obliged to those ladies and gentlemen that will favor her with their custom". In the same paper of April 18, 1797, James Wallace advertised a "morning school for young ladies in reading, writing and arithmetic"; he taught also navigation and bookkeeping, doubtless to young men. In 1805 Will- iam Bridges offered to "teach young ladies and gentlemen. Private rooms for young ladies and board if required". In 1807 Mrs. La Salle
1Newport Mercury, June 23, 1801.
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and her daughter advertised a school at their home, and the Misses Smith announced the opening of a female academy in Bristol. In 1808 Mrs. Eliza C. Brenton advertised instruction for girls at Wash- ington Academy in South Kingstown.
The United States Chronicle of December 18, 1800, Providence, contained the following :
"Mrs. Hurley, from London, offers to instruct young ladies in all kinds of Needlework, Tambour and Embroidery, with Drawing, Paint- ing and Music on the Piano Forte.
"Likewise,
"In Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, French and English, Grammar, Geography and History-which will be explained by Rev. Mr. Hur- ley".
Mr. Wallace, already mentioned, taught young ladies from 6 to 8 a. m., and Mr. Jastram, in Providence, from 6 to 8 a. m., and from 10 to 12, noon. The Newport Mercury of August 8, 1807, announced that Mr. E. Trevett-a well known teacher-will "gratuitously teach as many poor children as he can attend to in the State House, a few hours in the morning", and that a subscription would be circulated to pro- vide stationery. To this the editor added that "the want of free schools is a serious evil to society". In the fall of the same year a similar announcement appeared, accompanied by a statement that more than seventy scholars had attended in the summer, and more than forty in the winter. From the beginning of the century forward the various academies, which are noticed further on, were liberally advertised in the papers of Newport and Providence.
It is well known at the present day that in early times lotteries were conducted to raise funds for a great variety of public projects, includ- ing schools, churches, public improvements, ctc. In the Newport Mercury of 1795 appears an advertisement of the "Newport Long Wharf and Public School Lottery", of which George Gibbs and George Champlin, two prominent citizens, were managers. This lottery was originated, in 1765, in aid of the long wharf alone; but it was revived in 1795, when an act passed the Legislature authorizing the raising of $25,000, and providing that the wharf profits and rents were to be applied to the support of such a school in Newport as the trustces should name and under their regulations. According to the Mercury of May 31, 1796, it appears that the total amount actually drawn in this lottery was $30,000. What the profits were cannot be told. The wharf was built, but not the hotel that was projected in connection with the lottery, and it is doubtful if a school house would have been
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GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
secured but for the generosity of Simeon Potter. Under date of Swansea, May 16, 1795, he addressed the lottery managers, offering as a free gift his estate called Easton Point, in trust, to support a free school forever, "for the advantage of poor children of every denomina- tion". On receipt of this letter it was
"Voted and Resolved, That G. Gibbs and G. Champlin be requested to present the thanks of the trustees to Simeon Potter, Esq., for his liberal donation, and to assure him that it shall be inviolably appro- priated to the establishment and support of public schools, he has so generously patronized.
"Voted, That Thomas Dennis and John L. Boss, be requested to take charge of the house, store and land, presented by Simeon Potter, to rent the same, and appropriate the rents to the repairs, in such manner as they may deem most advantageous."
On the 28th of April, 1800, it was
"Resolved, That the use of the building presented by Simeon Potter, Esq., be tendered to the town for a school house, on condition of the town repairing the same, and paying such rent as may be agreed upon, provided it is appropriated for a school, conformably to the act of the Assembly for establishing free schools, and that it be called the Public School."'
During the War of 1812 the trustees of the Long Wharf did not meet, but on August 19, 1814, a committee was appointed "to devise a plan for the commencement of a school, taking into consideration the present limited funds". The plan was reported on the 25th of Au- gust, and included the appointment of five trustees, who were to serve as a school committee to manage a school for poor children ; to rent the Potter school house to a suitable person to teach, and to adopt a code of regulations for the institution. The committee reported, also, that Joseph Finch and his wife, who had been keeping a school in the cham- bers of the building, would instruct twenty or thirty scholars in read- ing, and find the firewood, at $1.80 each per quarter, which arrange- ment was recommended for the ensuing winter, at least. The contract was really made with Finch's wife, Elizabeth, and her success as a teacher called forth commendation from the trustees. She kept such an excellent school that it was continued under her during a number of years. According to Barnard's Journal of R. I. Instruction (iii, p. 145), the number of scholars in 1815 was about forty ; but the actual number in 1820 was only about twenty, and the school was wholly abandoned in 1832; the house was ordered sold and the proceeds were deposited in a savings bank, where they remained until 1863, when
15
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
they were added to other funds in the hands of the Long Wharf trustees to aid in building the Willow Street school house.
In the fall of 1824 a sub-committee was appointed to perform certain duties in connection with the schools of the city. A copy of their report, dated October 11, is among the George C. Mason papers in possession of the R. I. Historial Society, from which this information is drawn : "The sub-committee appointed by the General School Com- mittee to enquire what buildings could be obtained for school houses, provided a general system of School education should be adopted by the town, on the plan pursued in the Town of Providence ; the expense of the sanic, and the annual expense of Tutors and Ushers for three schools on that Plan ; beg leave to report, that they have attended to the duties assigned them, and are happy to state as the result of their enquireics that the Minister, Wardens and Vestry of Trinity church have Resolved, that if the town should carry into operation the system of Frec Schools as established in Providence, 'the town may have the School House for such rent, and on such terms as the Vestry should deem fair and reasonable ;' . This committee also learned 'that the store in Spring street late the property of Stephen Deblois Esq. dec'd can be obtained for a School House if that system should be adopted by the Town, on the most liberal terms.' The committee also examined the records relative to the estate of Simeon Potter on Easton's Point, 'which is now occupied by a free school and called the Long Wharf Free School,' and learned the facts regarding Mr. Pot- ter's donation, as before described."
In the year 1821 a committee was appointed by the General Assem- bly, charged with the duty of collecting information regarding the schools of the various towns in the State; but whatever this committee accomplished it never reported to the Legislature. In 1828, the year in which an important step forward was taken in the establishment of a better educational system, the publishers of the American and Ga- zette (Providence) made an attempt to perform the task that had previously been assigned to the before-mentioned legislative committec, by applying to representatives in the various towns for information upon the conditions in the schools. The result was published, as the editor stated, "with the exception of Providence, which is abundantly provided with schools". The following statistics were thus gathered, and serve as something of a basis of school history in the State at that comparatively early date :
"Newport .- One free school with about 200 scholars; 42 private
-
FEMALE SEMINARY, NEWPORT. REPRODUCED FROM A DRAWING BY GEORGE C. MASON.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
schools having about 1,100 scholars. These schools are supported win- ter and summer. Inhabitants, 7,319 [census of 1820].
"West Greenwich .- Two school houses, built by subscription. 1 Eleven schools are regularly kept about three months in the winter, three of which are continued nearly the year round. Inhabitants, 1,927.
"Richmond .- Two school houses, in which schools are kept a part of each season-also a well attended Sunday school. Inhabitants, 1,423.
"Hopkinton .- Nine school houses, in three of which-in the vicinity of factories-schools are kept through the year-the others in the winter. Inhabitants, 1,821.
"North Kingstown .- The Elam Academy, and one private school in Wickford. There is but one school house in the town, near Wm. Rey- nolds' factory-in all six schools, three of which are kept winter and summer. Inhabitants, 3,007.
"Exeter .- Three school houses, in which winter schools are kept- no other schools in the town. Inhabitants 2,581.
"East Greenwich .- Academy, and one private school house in the village, kept the year round; four in other parts of the town-in all, six school houses. Seven schools are kept in the winter, and three or four women's schools in the summer. Inhabitants, 1,519.
"Johnston. - Five school houses; six or seven schools are kept in the winter, and two or three in the summer. Inhabitants, 1,542.
"Charlestown .- One school house; from five to seven schools in the winter and three in summer. Inhabitants, 1,160.
"Coventry .- Ten school houses; fourteen schools in winter and seven in summer. Inhabitants, 3,139.
"Portsmouth .- Four school houses, in which schools are kept pretty regularly in winter, and in one or two in summer. Inhabitants, 1,645.
"Foster .- Fifteen school houses-all open in the winter season, and most of them in summer. Inhabitants, 2,900.
"North Providence .- Seven school houses-an academy, and four other schools in Pawtucket; two men's and three women's kept most of the year-in all, eleven schools in the town, most of them kept open but a part of the year. Inhabitants, 2,420.
"Cranston .- Is divided into eleven districts, and has eleven school houses, though schools are not regularly kept in all. There are five other schools-in all sixteen schools, but a small part kept through the year. Inhabitants, 2,274.
1All of the school houses in the State have been built by private subscrip- tion, or by individuals, except those for free schools built by the towns of Providence and Newport.
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"Middletown .- Five school houses, in which are schools regularly in winter, and irregularly in summer. Inhabitants, 949.
"Warwick .- Seven school houses, in which are kept men's schools, besides two or three others ; six women's schools in winter and summer -in all sixteen schools. Inhabitants, 3,643.
"Smithfield .- Has thirteen school houses. Two of these are well conducted academies, kept the year round, at Woonsocket and Slaters- ville, two flourishing manufacturing villages. There is also a private school at Woonsocket. Two S. H. on the east road, four on the Wor- cester road, one, new road-one, Sayles' hill-one in Angell's neigh- bourhood-one, Louisquisset Turnpike, of Brick, and one near R. Mowry. Besides schools regularly kept in these places, there are five others-in all nineteen schools. Inhabitants 4,678.
"Cumberland .- Is divided into districts, and has thirteen school houses-schools regularly kept and well attended in all. Inhabitants, 2,653.
"Burrillville .- Eleven school houses-schools in all in the winter, averaging forty scholars each-one kept the year round. There are four or five private schools in summer. Inhabitants, 2,164.
"Scituate .- Five school houses. There are probably some other schools in the town; but a correct statement could not be obtained. Inhabitants, 2,834.
"Glocester .- Eleven school houses, and about fifteen schools in the town in winter. Inhabitants, 2,504.
"Jamestown .- Three school houses-schools kept in but two in win- ter. Inhabitants, 448.
"Barrington .- Three school houses-schools kept winter and sum- mer. Inhabitants, 634.
"Little Compton. - Eight school houses open in winter, and most all in summer. Inhabitants, 1,580.
"Westerly .- Six school houses open the year round, limited to thirty scholars each. There are two academies, one at Pawcatuck, a manu- facturing village, kept the year round-in all eight schools. Inhabit- ants, 1,972.
"Bristol .- Four school houses, one of which is an academy, with two schools in it. There are five men's schools in winter, and seven women's schools through the year. The town appropriates about $350 annually for support of schools, arising from rent of market, licenses, and some land given for that purpose. Inhabitants, 3,197.
"Warren .- One academy and four school houses-three built by the town, and one by an individual. There are five men's schools in win- ter (including the academy), and an average of twelve female schools through the year, in addition to the above-sometimes as many as twenty female schools. Inhabitants, 1,806.
1
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
"New Shoreham .- One school house. There are four schools, aver- aging thirty scholars eaeh, kept four months in winter, and about six months in summer. Inhabitants, 955.
"South Kingstown .- One academy, in which a school is kept the year round, and seven school houses, in which schools are kept winter and summer. There are a number of schools kept irregularly in pri- vate houses. 'Inhabitants, 3,723.
"Tiverton .- Ten school houses, in which schools are kept pretty regularly. There are a few other small schools. Inhabitants, 2,875.
"Providence .- There are eight public schools in this town, at which about nine hundred children are taught. Six or seven academies, where the higher branches are taught, ineluding the Friends' Semi- nary, and probably eighty or ninety private sehools. In 1821 a regu- lar return was made of all the schools in town. Exelusive of the public schools, there were then ten men's sehools and forty-four kept by females. Sinee then this number has greatly increased. The ex- pense of the public schools paid by tax on the inhabitants is not much short of $5,000. The amount paid by parents for private tuition is doubtless double that sum, making at the lowest estimate $15,000 an- nually paid for the tuition of the children of Providence. It is ob- vious, therefore, that in a pecuniary point of view, Providenee will gain nothing by the system of free schools becoming general, as she would pay much more into the treasury, toward the support of sehools in other towns, than she would be entitled to draw out."
The editor then proceeds to estimate the population of Providenee at that time as about 17,000, and the number of children in the State to be educated as 35,843. It is also stated by the writer that there had been "a much larger number of school houses erected than has been generally supposed, and but few additional ones will be required". The total number of school houses in the State is given as 181, besides ten academies.
This newspaper article was called out chiefly by the measures adopt- ed to procure the passage of the Free Sehool Law of 1828, under which the State was to appropriate annually $10,000 in aid of the public sehools. Among the important provisions of that law may be summar- ized the following: Providing for the payment to the various towns in proper proportion of all moneys paid into the general treasury by managers of lotteries, by anetioneers, and for duties aeeruing to the State, for the "exelusive purpose of keeping public sehools and paying the expenses thereof", the gross sum so appropriated not to exeeed $10,000 ; empowering the towns to raise money by tax to the amount of double the sum received from the general treasury, to aid in sup- porting the schools ; providing for the annual appointment of a school
for
the confiden one thousand two hundred
erect & build linde
regate ; Maintent. Ifthe fame
lownation build the chimney and completed
fais building fit for yough
afecte profes
thirty felle un
PLAN OF A PROVIDENCE SCHOOL HOUSE OF 1819.
FROM THE ORIGINAL DESIGN AMONG THE PROVIDENCE TOWN PAPERS NO. 0033801.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
committee for each town, consisting of not less than five nor more than twenty-one persons, to act without compensation, and defining their duties, and their powers ; providing for an annual report by the gen- eral treasurer to the General Assembly of the moneys received by him that were to be applied to the support of schools; and providing for the appropriation of $5,000 from the general treasury at that time for the foundation of a permanent fund, to which should be added from year to year the moneys received from the several sources before men- tioned, over and above the regular appropriation of $10,000.
This act, inefficient as it was for its purpose, was the foundation of the existing school system. Its passage created dissatisfaction in some sections, it being claimed that it gave Providence advantages over the country towns. Previous to the passage of this law the schools of the State were under no general systematic control; they were not only isolated geographically, but varied in character, government, and in- terest, each dependent upon the public spirit, liberality, and enlighten- ment of its particular town. But from that time forward the schools were to constitute a State system which, with all its imperfections, was far in advance of former educational conditions.
During the succeeding decade educational progress throughout the State was encouraging. Population increased, involving the need of more or larger schools, especially in the important business centers, and calling for greater liberality on the part both of the State and of the town authorities. This led to the passage, in 1839, of "An act to revise and amend the several acts relating to Public Schools". The more important features of this law, and those which differed from the old one, were: The appropriation by the State of $25,000 an- nually for school purposes, instead of $10,000; making the town school committees to consist of not less than five nor more than thirty mem- bers, instead of twenty-one; extending the powers and duties of the school committees to include the selection of text books, the expulsion of unruly scholars, etc .; restricting the number of schools in any dis- trict to one, unless otherwise ordered by the committee; placing the distribution of all school moneys under control of the school commit- tees ; providing for the division of towns into districts by the freemen in town meeting; providing for official returns by all school commit- tees to the secretary of state on or before the first Wednesday of May, annually ; giving full details of school statistics, on blanks to be pro- vided for that purpose ; appropriating $100 annually in support of a school for the Narragansett Indians ; providing for the union of two or more adjoining districts, as a corporate body.
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GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
At this point it is necessary to note the intervening school legislation from the passage of the act of 1828 to that of 1839. At the same session in which the first law was enacted, the freemen of the town of Providence were authorized to assess and collect any amount of tax for free schools, notwithstanding the limitation in the law. In June, of that year, Newport was authorized to appropriate its share of the State school money towards finishing a school house and maintaining the free schools already established. In October, the two districts of the village of Pawtuxet, one in Cranston and the other in Warwick, were united in one district ; this arrangement was discontinued by an act of 1832. At the October session of 1828 the school committee of any town was authorized to make arrangements with the committee of an adjacent town for the education of their children in the schools of the latter, by paying a portion of the cost.
At the June session of 1829 the districts into which the school com- mittee might divide the town of Hopkinton were directed to erect a school house at the expense of the districts, on penalty of losing their share of the State appropriation.
In 1830, at the January session, the town of Westerly was empow- ered to pass the necessary laws for building and repairing school houses. At the June session the school committees were made to consist of not less than five nor more than thirty members.
At the June session of 1831 the distribution of the public money was ordered made according to the number of persons under fifteen years of age [instead of sixteen] in each town. At the October ses- sion that year a special act deprived those inhabitants of district No. 11, in Hopkinton, who had refused to aid in building a school house, of the use of it and of the benefit of the school money.
In 1832 the town of East Greenwich was authorized to build school houses; at the same session the rule for the distribution of school money that continued in force until 1844-5 was adopted, viz., the number of the white inhabitants under the age of fifteen years, and the number of colored persons under ten years, together with five-four- teenths of the said population between the ages of ten and twenty-four years.
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