USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 2 > Part 25
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The report then continues to the effect that the committee had exam- ined the "school house down town", which would cost too much ; had agreed with John Smith to build one "at the upper part of the Town, of the same Dimentions as the School House on the west side of the Grait Bridg, viz. 26 feet Long, 18 Feet wide, and ten Feet post". They agreed with John Spooner "to Build one at the Lower part of the Town, of the same Dimentions and on the same Terms". Also, they agreed with "Mr. Jonathan Hammond, in company with Mr. Benjamin Talbot, to Build the School House near the Court House,
1Barnard, on the Schools of Providence, p. 34.
2For vote on this measure see Providence Town Paper 403.
3For account of John Smith see Providence Town Paper 412.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
agreeable to the Dimentions Voted by the Town for £482, or £12,875 O. Tenor if Built of Brick, or £416-14 if built with wood". They examined the school house on the west side of the bridge and found it "very convenient", but after consulting found a part of the proprie- tors "will not sell their rights in said school", and the committee therefore advised postponing the matter of "contracting for a House to be Built on that side of the River till after the Town Meeting". They also agreed with Joseph Whipple "for two Lotts for the small school Houses, that is, one at the upper part of the Town",1 and one in the lower part. To aid in completing the school house to be built by Jonathan Hammond, a tax was authorized, on January 1, 1768, of £100, on condition that a subscription of the value of about £182 be obtained within thirty days. This was not accomplished, but the amount was raised by the middle of July and a contract was made with John Smith to build the house that still stands near the Friends' meeting-house. A company of proprietors of the school numbering fifty-four was chartered in 1770. Stephen Hopkins, Jabez Bowen, and Moses Brown were a committee to prepare regulations for the school.
The report of the second before named committee is found in the records, in the writing of Moses Brown, and recommended in brief susbstance, the building or purchase of four school houses; one on "the west side of the great bridge, at or near the place where the school house at present stands"; one in the southerly part of the town, in the back street, near Power's Lane; one in the northerly part of the town, in the back street, near Richard Brown's lot ; and one larger one on the lot where the old court house stood, the latter to be built of brick. That £520 be levied and collected, to be used in these building operations. That the school house on the west side of the bridge should remain under direction of the proprictors until the other houses were completed. That a school committee should be chosen annually, etc. The following endorsement was made by Mr. Brown on the report :
"1768. Laid before the town by the committee, but a number of the inhabitants (and what is most surprising and remarkable, the plan of a free school, supported by a tax, was rejected by the poorer sort of the people) being strangely led away not to see their own as well as the public interest therein (by a few objectors at first), either because they were not the projectors, or had not public spirit to execute so laudable a design, and which was first voted by the town with great freedom. M. B."
1Providence Town Paper 402.
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GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Another committee reported at the same time that there were on the west side of the river 102 houses, 911 inhabitants (including 189 be- tween the ages of five and fourteen years) fit for schooling.
The rejection of the above noticed reports nullified action that had previously been taken (in December, 1767) for building three school houses, as detailed in the foregoing report of the committee appointed for that purpose. But the progressive portion of the inhabitants were not disposed to abandon efforts to provide better educational facilities, as appears by the organization of a company of proprietors in the north part of the town, in 1768, who procured the building of what was known as Whipple Hall, the lot having been donated by Captain John Whipple. The names of the proprietors were as follows :
Edward Thurber, Jr.,
Jonathan Arnold,
Benjamin Thurber,
Captain Nathaniel Wheaton,
Daniel Cahoon,
Samuel Thurber, Jr.,
Obadiah Sprague,
Timothy Mason,
Stephen Carpenter,
Coomer Haile,
Dexter Brown,
George Payson,
Major Samuel Currie,
Captain Ephraim Wheaton,
Joseph Wilson,
Amos Horton,
Major Simeon Thayer,
George Whipple,
Colonel David Burr,
Abner Thayer,
John Smith,
Philip Mason,
Ezekiel Burr,
Captain Benjamin Shepard,
Joseph Olney, Jr.,
Benjamin Cozzens,
Moses Hearne,
Joshua Burr,
Levi Burr,
Captain Amos Allen,
Nehemiah Sweet,
Comfort Wheaton,
Charles Keene,
John E. Brown,
Mrs. Comfort Wheaton, Edward Knowles,
Captain James Olney,
Benjamin Allen,
William Tiler,
Charles Keene,
Aaron Mason,
Peter Randall.1
A committee was appointed, consisting of Joseph Nash, Charles Keene, Samuel Thurber, jr., Samuel Currie, Benjamin Cozzens, Com- fort Wheaton and Jonathan Arnold, to prepare regulations for the
1It will be seen that this list of proprietors contains only forty-two names, but a manuscript book of proprietors' records, in the library of the Historical Society, in Providence, states, among other facts, that the property was divided into fifty rights, and that forty-eight of these were divided among pro- prietors according to their subscriptions. The other two rights were to be disposed of for the purchase of a lot. Each right carried the privilege of send- ing "one Schollar to the Master's Apartment and one to the Mistress's apart- ment and no more".
17
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
government of the school, and the latter were made extremely rigid, particularly in the interest of morality, politeness, and general good conduct. The building was one story high, having a hipped roof, with a belfry; it was designed for two schools and was finished in Novem- ber, 1768, at a cost of £120 old tenor, to each proprietor. George Taylor, jr., was the first teacher in the upper grade, and was compen- sated by tuition fees of four shillings sixpence for each scholar; an additional charge of two shillings was made to parents who were not proprietors. Sally Jackson taught first in the lower grade. The committee on regulations clearly defined the duties of the trustees, also, making them responsible for the financial interests of the school, the efficiency and conduct of the teachers, etc. In this school Mr. Taylor was succeeded by John Barrows, Nathan Downe, Sumner Wood, Joseph Balch, Solomon Bradford, Abner Tucker, and John Dexter.1
A "Discourse on Education" was delivered on November 16, 1785, by Rev. Enos Hitchcock, in Rev. Joseph Snow's church on the west side of the river, upon request of the inhabitants, which supplied a new stimulus to the cause and aroused the community to renewed efforts ; but the oncoming of the Revolution, with its anxiety and ex- citement, so absorbed public attention as to greatly retard school development. From 1773 to 1781 school in Whipple Hall was closed and the building was occupied by the Council of War for a magazine; the Meeting Street house also was used for a similar purpose.2 The damage to Whipple Hall was placed at "one hundred and thirteen Spanish milled dollars, and one-third of a dollar". At a little later
1Following is a specimen of the recommendation, or certificate given to a teacher in the old times:
"WARWICK, May 14, 1782.
"Mr. Christopher Hill having teached a school for us at Warwick for the Term of One year (and has given general satisfaction we should have been glad to have continued him longer if his Price had suitetd.) He proved with us Master of indefatigable Industry and good economy in his school, his Scholars learned fast and to the satisfaction of his Imployees. We will do him the justice to say that he is a Young Gent'n of a Good Character: that of an honest man.
"ADAM COMSTOCK, GIDEON ARNOLD,
"JOSEPH BROWN, SAMUEL GORTON.
"NATHANIEL MILLER."
2 A warrant for a town meeting was issued September 6, 1780, "to take into consideration the Dangerous and alarming situation of the Lives and Property of the Inhabitants of the northerly part of the Town occasioned by the con- tinuance of a very large Quantity of Military stores in the School House called Whipple Hall", etc., and to provide ways and means for the removal of such stores. See also Prov. Town Paper 2181, and paper 2182 for request to call the meeting.
1
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GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
date the town set apart all money "which should be received of the State or the United States, for damage done the brick school house during the revolutionary war, all rents to be received for Market-house cellar, chambers and stalls, and all wharfage to be received on the Mar- ket-house lot, as a fund for the support of public schools". This seemingly important appropriation brought in only about sufficient revenue to keep the school buildings in repair, but it also drew public attention to the distinction between schools owned by proprietors and those supported and fostered as free schools.
The following is entered upon the records of a meeting of proprie- tors held July 30, 1785:
"It being represented to the Propriety by a Committee of the Town that it is thought a plan of Government of all the Schools in the House may be hit upon more advantageous than the manner this House has hitherto been Improved, provided this Propriety will yield the use of their part to the Town for a limited time."
This was followed by a vote1 that if the town would re- pair the whole house (Whipple Hall), and keep a school at least one year, the proprietors would give the use of their part (the upper part) for two years; and that if the results were satisfactory, the arrangement would be continued. But this partnership business did not prosper, and various committees were appointed from time to time charged with the task of improving the school conditions. One of these was to visit the schools quarterly and to pass upon the quali- fications of applicants for teachers' positions ; at the quarterly visita- tions it was provided as a stimulus to scholars, that "they shall exhibit such specimens of their improvement as shall be found most conducive to that purpose". The committee were also to give the masters in- structions for the conduct of the schools, and it was further ordered "that the Town recommend the same regulations to all the other schools in the proprietary school houses in Town". Another commit- tee of 1785, consisting of Joseph Snow, James Manning, Enos Hitch- cock, J. Fitch, -- Oliver, Jabez Bowen, Moses Brown, Nicholas Brown and John J. Clark, appointed to take into consideration the condition of the schools, reported among other things, recommending "that no person be allowed to keep any school in the house belonging to the Town but such as have a fair moral character and are of ap- proved abilities".
All of these too feeble efforts were a part of the long continued
1Providence Town paper 0914.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
struggle towards free education for all. Progress was slow. In 1791 the school committee, consisting of James Manning1 (chairman), Enos Hitchcock, Joseph Snow, Moses Badger, Jonathan Maxcy (all pastors), Jabez Bowen, Moses Brown, John J. Clark, David Howell, Theodore Foster, John Dorrance, Welcome Angell, and Benjamin Bowen, took into consideration a petition presented at a town meeting held June 6, 1791, praying that a sufficient number of teachers be employed to instruct all the children in the town at public expense. Here was a step in the right direction. The subject was discussed in the press and the committee earnestly studied it in several meetings, finally reporting on it in July. The report, as might have been ex- pected from such men, strongly urged the establishment of free schools; recommended the purchase of the proprietors' interests in the brick school house and Whipple Hall; the building of school houses by the town on the west side of the river and in the lower part of the town; the annual appointment of a Town School Committee to have charge of the employment of teachers, and other matters; the payment of a share of the money raised by the town for school pur- poses to the authorities of the Friends' School; the appointment of a committee to contract in behalf of the town for sites for the two pro- posed school houses and arrange for their erection.
This report was adopted August 1, and a committee appointed to procure the school lots, to learn the terms on which the proprietors would relinquish their rights in Whipple Hall and the brick school house, estimate cost of new houses, etc. But strange to say, but little progress was made, after this fair beginning, during several succeed- ing years. The cause of this was, to some extent, the serious objection raised to the clause in the report relating to the Friends' School; it was claimed that a favor granted to one sect, as proposed, could be justly demanded by another, and might lead to the creation of a num- ber of sectarian schools, maintained at public expense, and hampered by rivalries.
In 1798 a new force for the promotion of education appeared. In March, 1789, the Providence Association of Mechanics and Manufac- turers was chartered and it has kept up its existence to the present.
1Rev. Dr. Manning was born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, October 22d, 1738, and received a liberal education at Princeton College, where he was graduated September 29th, 1762, and the same year was ordained as a Baptist minister. He was elected president of Rhode Island College (Brown Univer- sity ) in 1765, of which he was the successful and honored head until his death, which occurred suddenly, Sunday morning, July 24, 1791, in the 54th year of his age. As an educator he occupied a leading rank.
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GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
time. From the beginning it joined heartily in all movements for the welfare of the community and wielded a powerful influence for good. It was consistent with its purposes that it should enter into the task of providing free schools. One of the more prominent members of the association was John Howland, a descendant in the fifth generation from John Howland, one of the Pilgrims of 1620. In 1798 Mr. How- land, who was made chairman of a committee appointed for the pur- pose, prepared a memorial to the General Assembly, praying for "legal provision for the establishment of free schools sufficient to educate all the children in the several towns throughout the State". Mr. Howland had been advocating more and better public schools almost from the date of organization of the Mechanics' Association, and now entered still more earnestly into the work. The memorial prepared by him was presented to the Assembly in the name of the association and after debate was referred to a committee with instruc- tions to report by bill. A bill was accordingly drawn by James Bur- rill, jr., then attorney-general of the State, embodying a general school system, and was printed and sent out to the freemen of the various towns for their consideration. After commendable efforts on the part of Mr. Howland personally and the association as a body, the bill passed the House at the autumn session of 1799 and was sent to the Senate. There it was laid over until the next session, when, after further labor on the part of Mr. Howland and others, it became a law.
Ten days after the passage of the free school act of 1800 (February) the Providence committee to whom was referred the school subject reported as follows :
"1. That it will be expedient to open and establish through the year four Free Schools; one to be kept in Whipple Hall; one in the brick school house; one in a new school house to be built at the south end of the town ; and one in a new school house, to be built on the west side of the river.
"2. That a committee or committees be appointed to build the new school houses, and that these houses ought to be of brick, and be built immediately, and that Whipple Hall ought to be repaired.
"3. That until these houses can be built, the town council be re- quested to provide proper places for the schools, at the south end, and on the west side of the river.
"4. That there ought to be four Principal Masters appointed at a salary of five hundred dollars per annum each, and to be paid quar- terly and so many Ushers, or Assistants, as the town council shall find necessary, at such salaries as the council shall allow.
"5. That so far as relates to expense, the town ought to be one
,
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
school district, and that the town council be requested to decide ac- cordingly.
"6. That the town council ought to be empowered to appoint, and if need require, to suspend or remove the Masters and Ushers, and that the council be requested immediately to make the necssary ar- rangments for carrying the system of Free Schools into complete execution and effect.
"7. That a tax of four thousand dollars ought to be now ordered and assessed, and that the same and all other taxes hereafter imposed for like purposes, ought to be paid in money into the town treasury, and be exclusively appropriated to the erection of school-houses and the support of Free Schools".
The main features of this report were carried out. A tax of $6,000 was voted, and the treasurer was directed to collect certain money due the town from the Great Bridge Lottery, and from the sale of the "Walker lots", and devote the whole to support of schools. The freemen of the town bought Whipple Hall and refitted it, and also the school house on Meeting street. A new house was built on Transit street and another one on the west side of the river, on an eminence near the present corner of Friendship and Claverick streets. The following first school committee was appointed on the 26th of August, 1800: Jonathan Maxcy, Enos Hitchcock, Stephen Gano, William Jones, James Burrill, John Howland, Jabcz Bowen, David L. Barnes, Amos M. Atwell, and John Carlisle; all staunch friends of free edu- cation.
On October 13, 1800, this committee and the council appointed Jonathan Maxcy, Enos Hitchcock, Joseph Jenckes, and John How- land a committee to frame rules and regulations for the government of the schools, which was done and such rules were adopted.1 The four schools were opened on the last Monday of October, 1800, under most encouraging conditions and prospects. There were four masters on salary of $500, and four ushers, with salary of $200 each. Early in 1800 an auxiliary school was opened in the fourth district and a teacher appointed at a salary of $400.2 This arrangement continued until 1812. During those twelve years the number of scholars attend- ing the schools rarely excceded 800. In 1812 to 1818 there were five
1See p. 41, Barnard's account of the Schools of Providence, in library of R. I. Hist. Society, Providence.
? In connection with the school system at the beginning of the century the manuscripts arranged by the Record Commissioners of the City of Providence contain many old documents of much interest, which will throw additional light on the movement for public education.
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GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
schools, with masters and ushers drawing the same salary as before. In 1819 the stone school house on Summer street was built, one story high, and a second story was subsequently added. From that time until 1824 the number of schools and teachers remained unchanged; in that year an additional teacher was appointed at a salary of $300, to teach a part of the school in the first district.1 From that date until 1840 no important changes were made in the school system as a whole. In this connection the following statistics are of value :
Year.
Average No. during the year.
Amount paid for tuition.
Annual expense for each scholar.
1819
830
$3,750
$4.51
1820
846
3,750
4.42
1821
796
3,750
4.71
1822
845
3,750
4.52
1823
812
3,750
4.61
1824
852
3,750
4.34
1825
806
4,050
5.02
1826
744
4,050
5.44
1827
886
4,050
4.46
1828
1000
4,800
4.80
1829
1260
4,100
4.05
1830
1205
5,300
4.40
1831
1127
5,700
5.06
1832
941
5,700
6.27
1833
1129
5,700
5.05
1834
1222
5,700
4.66
1835
1266
6,900
5.45
1836
1271
6,900
5.42
1837
1536
7,400
4.82
1838
1717
7,400
4.31
1839
1740
7,400
4.18
Under the law of 1800 the schools of Providence prospered; but opposition to the law in the country districts was extreme and suffi- ciently powerful to compass its repeal in 1803. In that year the cause of education lost a strong helper in the death of Rev. Enos Hitchcock, who died on February 27. Among the early features of school support was an assessment made on each scholar to purchase
1Following is a nearly complete list of teachers who acted as principals in the schools from 1800 to 1828, most of whom had been promoted from the posi- tion of usher: John Dexter, Moses Noyes, Royal Farnum, Rev. James Wilson, Richard Briggs, Oliver Angell, Liberty Ransom, William E. Richmond, Noah Kendall, Rev. Thomas Williams, Joseph W. Torrey, Christopher Hill, Elisha R. Atkins, Thomas C. Hartshorn, Thomas C. Fenner, Joseph Beverly, Edward Beverly, George Taft, Cyrus Grant, Daniel Baker, Martin Snell, Jedediah L.
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
fuel; this continued in operation until 1833. The scholars were also compelled to furnish their own ink, or "be debarred from writing". In 1804 measures were adopted to supply the children of poor parents with books.
The repeal of the school law did not affect Providence. The author- ities were already too well satisfied with its workings and too appreci- ative of its importance to permit a change to be made, and the schools went on as before. This action could not fail to exert a salutary influence upon neighboring towns and partially open the way for still greater improvement that was to be inaugurated a quarter of a cent- ury later.
In 1816, it having been decided that special supervision of the schools would be advantageous, the committee voted to place them "under the superintending care of the Reverend Clergy interim be- tween the several quarterly visitations". The assignments to the dis- tricts were as follows: First district, Rev. Dr. Edes; second district, Rev. Dr. Crocker; third district, Rev. Dr. Gano; fourth district, Rev. Mr. James Wilson, and Rev. Mr. Preston. General improvement in school visitation, methods of teaching, discipline, etc., continued until 1828, when the important school law of that year was passed, as described on a preceding page. Soon after the passage of this law a proposition to reorganize the Providence school system "and place the schools in a condition of greater usefulness to all classes of the com- munity", was referred to a committee consisting of the following: Francis Wayland, William T. Grinnell, and Thomas T. Waterman, with instructions to investigate and report on the subject. An ex- haustive report was presented on the 22d of April, which was printed and circulated.1 This report is too long to be given place here, but one of its more important recommendations was the establishment of graded schools, a sufficient number of primary schools in different parts of the town, and "a single school of a more elevated character, to enter which it shall be necessary to have been a proficient in all the studies of the grammar schools". The committee also favored the monitorial system in teaching. The report closed with four recom- mendations as follows :
Stark, Richard Battle, Calvin Barnes, Sumner W. Arnold, Benjamin Allen, Stephen Rawson, Hezekiah Battle, Samuel P. Bullard, Nehemiah E. Rogers, Samuel Stetson, Daniel G. Sprague, William S. Boss, Charles Arnold, Joseph Shaw, Steuben Taylor, Jesse Hartwell, Moses Curtis, Esek Aldrich, Jr., Sylves- ter R. Aborn, Origin Batcheller, Joseph L. Shaw, Edward Seagrace, John Hol- royd, Oliver C. Shaw, Noah Smith, Jr., Elisha W. Baker, Barnum Field, Joseph C. Gardner, Thomas Wilson.
1See Hist. Public Ed. in Rhode Island (Stockwell), pp. 164-8.
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GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
"1st. That the school committee should be so divided as to consti- tute a primary and a grammar school committee, and this committee in conjunction with the town council, to be charged with the whole business of the public education.
"2d. That primary schools for the instruction of children from four to seven years of age, be established in various parts of the town under the superintendence and direction of the primary school com- mittee.
"3d. That the monitorial system be immediately tested in one of the common schools.
"4th. That a public high school be established, in which shall be taught all the branches necessary to a useful, mercantile and classical education."
These recommendations were adopted and the changes introduced. Primary schools were established for children between the ages of four and eight years, and placed in charge of women teachers, thus reliev- ing the grammar school masters of the care of large numbers of small children. New and improved text books were introduced, and the monitorial system was given a fair trial; but after a few years it was abandoned. In the year 1828 a school for colored childen was opened with a teacher who was paid $400 a year; it was situated in Meeting street, and was supplemented by another in Pond street in 1837. Both were abolished in 1865.1
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