Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 1.djvu/351

 EDUCATION IN HOPKINTON.

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��latter had been established in Concord from the incorporation of 1823. The Court Room and Senate Chamber were remodeled. Entrance was effected at either end by a hall and stairway. In the former apartment a platform and teacher's desk were located on the east; in the latter, on the north; opposite either were plain wooden seats and desks arranged in rows in the usual man- ner. Between these two rooms were two smaller apartments, devoted to recita- tions, bell uses, drawing garments and laboratory. A bell was presented to the institution by Isaac Chandler, a former and later citizen of Hopkinton, then of Boston. This gift was acknowledged by vote of thanks on the 30th of April.

The first preceptor of Hopkinton Acad- emy was George Peck, who remained but a short time. The catalogue for the fall term of 1827 gives the following board of instruction :

Jeremiah Russell, A. B., Preceptor; Mr. Jeremiah Gates, Assistant Preceptor ; Mr. Luther Cross, Lecturer on Chymis- try.

The following persons were Trustees :

Ebenezer Lerned, M. d., President; Abram Brown, Esq., Mr. Stephen Lib- bey, Phineas Clough, Esq., Rev. Roger C. Hatch, Rev. Michael Carlton; Rev. Nathaniel W. Williams, Concord; Hon. Henry B. Chase, Warner; Artemas Rog- ers. Esq., Henniker; Philip Brown, Esq., Treasurer; Horace Chase, Esq., Secre- tary.

The resident students in the gentle- men's list were Philip Brown, jr., Al- pheus R. Brown, William S. Chandler, Isaac C. Chandler, Moses T. Clough, Hilliard L. Currier, Frederic R. Harvey, Thomas B. Jewell. John Kelley, John T. G. Leach, Edward A. H. Lerned, Ben- jamin F. Long, Isaac C. Long, Charles E. Long, David S. Page, Abram B. Sib- ley, Nathaniel C. Smith, Edmund E Smith, Solon Stark and Isaac Story; in the ladies' list were Sophia W. Bailey, Catharine W. Bailey, Mary G. Bailey, Sarah L. Brown, Helen M. Chase, Paul- ina Clark, Hannah S. Currier, Ann L. Darling, Mary Darling, Margaret H. Hall, Margaret E. Harvey, Eliza O. Jew- ett, Clarrissa G. Leach, Catharine C,

��Lerned, Judith Morse, Martha W. Rogers, Nancy G. Silbey, Sarah Silver, Bridget Stark, Mary Stark, Martha H. Story, Mary J. B. Tyler and Hannah Weeks.

The whole number of gentlemen was 47 ; ladies, 26 ; total, 73. This catalogue contained only the list of officers, in- structors and students, and the recapitu- lation of the latter. It was printed on plain paper, with a coarse, brown cover.

The next year the school was divided into special male and female depart- ments. The catalogue for .the fall term announced the following instructors :

Rev. John Nash, a. m., Preceptor; Miss Judith D. Peabody, Preceptress. The students were, gentlemen, 45 ; ladies, 32; total, 77.

Hopkinton Academy advanced rapidly in success and popularity. In 1830 there were 113 students; in 1831, 159; in 1S35, 162. Among the earlier preceptors were Enoch Colby, Enoch L. Childs and Moody Currier, with a large list of assist- ants, in the male department; in the ladies' department were Miss Caroline Knight, Miss Mary L. Childs, Miss Lucy Adams and Miss Mary Y. Bean, with various aids. Subsequent to this time many residents of this town remember many principals ; more recently, Precep- tors M. B. Stebbens, Dyer H. Sanborn, Wm. K. Rowell, John T. Clark, Stephen W. Clark and their assistants ; also Miss J. E. Stebbens, Mrs. M. A. Rowell, Miss Clara Flint and other teachers.

About the year 1843, the academy ex- perienced a heavy reverse, by which its available funds were reduced from $2500 down to $500. The circumstance was induced by the business failure of Na- thaniel Curtis, a merchant in Hopkinton Village, in whose hands were considera- ble sums of the institution's means. An investigation showed an actual deficit of $1765.18, arising from bad notes and ex- penditures above the income. The au- thorities of the academy failed to put in their claim in bankruptcy, and never re- covered their losses. For several years the school fluctuated to a greater or less extent in consequence of this calamity. The institution received an important im- pulse in 1851, when a new charter was

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