The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-08-05
The Vermont Baptist Acade
my.

The Vermont Baptist Academy at
5axton's River will have formal open.
ing at that place on the lst day OF next
In the Vermont Baptist state
which assembled In Windsor,
November 10, 1869, Rev. M. A. Wilcox
of Burlington introduced resolution
looking towards the establishment Of q
new aud we'll endowed academy in the
State After the convention Of 1859 had
adopted the resolution alluded to, o com.
mttee Was appointed TO carry it into ef
feet, and after two years of labor the
committee recommended in their report
which was adopted, that the convention
should appoint board that should take
entire charge Of the work Of establishing
and endowing new educational institu.
ton. as well as the decision Of the ques.
tion of location, the raising Of a perpetual
endowment fund Of 800, 900, besides the
necessary funds for buildings, etc. 1t
was also made incumbent on the board 10
secure legal incorporation, which was
done by act of Legislature, approved
November 90, 1872 A year previous
G. l. Jones, of Boston had proffered q
gift OF 800 900 for the purpose OF i'm.
proving aud refitling the old "Saxton's
River academy" which had passed into
disuse Later he had invited several cit.
liens oil the place to join him in the en-.
terprise, and this invitation had been &c.
cepted and considerable money pledged,
when the attention Of the donors had been
directed to the action of the state conven.
ton. In view of the superior character
Of the work contemplated by it, they
offered to transfer 10 the direction and
control of the board appointed by the con.
vention the entire movement projected by
themselves, provided the board would &C.
cept the trust and locate the poposed
academy in Saxton's River. These
terms were accepted by vote of the board
August 2S, 1872.
1t being made the duty Of the board,
by the terms of its appointment, to raise
the sum Of 100000 for an endowment
fund exclusive of grounds, buildings and
apparatus, Rev. W. n. Wilbur Of Sax
toms River was appointed chairman of the
committee for raising the fund. and with
such energy and practical wisdom did he
enter upon the work, that within year
from tho time OF his appointment, he was
able to announce September, IL, 1873.
the completed subscription of 100000.
The next work entered upon by Rev.
Mr. Wilbur was the raising Of funds for
building, apparatus, etc. 1t was the de.
termination Of the projectors not to ad'
vance step till the money for such q
step was secured, thus avoiding debt and
the defeat ofthe enterprise. According.
ly the first kiln of brick was not burned
till $4,000 in addition to the endow.
ment had been raised. The accrued in.
terest on subscriptions paid in already
amounts to $4,000, and this is added to
the general fund for building and running
expenses The funds will be invested
in first class landed securities and mum.
cipal bonds, manufacturing property
and buildings being held at discount.
The frat subscription paid 10 was one of
800 from a lady in Burlington, who
afterwards raised it to $500 The fol-
lowing list contains the names Of the
largest donors: Charles L. Jones OF Bos.
ton, $4,000; j. A. FarnswcIth Of
Saxton's River, $4,000: Mial Davis Of
Burlington, $4,000; Lawrence Barnes
of Burlington, $1,000 l.. X. Fuller Of
Brattleboro, $1,000 J. Estsy of Brat.
tleboro. $4,000; J. }. Estey Of Brattle.
boro, $1,000 j Estey 4 Go. of Brattle'
boro. $4,000 Sheldon Smith Of Bird.
port, $4,000 :: T Hoyt of Saxton's River,
$4,000; Benjamin Soofeld of Saxtons
River, $1,000; j. T. Alexander of Sax.
toms River, $1,000; Hannah B. Perry
of saxton's River. $1,000 Fl. c. Wiley
Of Saxton's River, $500; Joel Proctor
OF Bolton. Mass. .sll00; Daniel Camp.
bell of Saxton's River, $1,000; Alvah
Woods of Providence, $1,000; Mrs.
A. W. G. Tibbits Of Bennington,
$1,000: J. +. Sherman Of Char.
lotte, $1,000 and } Greenwood of
Dummerston, $1,000. The subscription
books contain, besides these names, hun.
dreds OF others ranging from few cents
to $500 and over. The only building
in process of erection is ladies, dormi'
tory, which will be 4Sx97 feet and three
stories high. By a well coutrived ar.
rangement of the plan and location oil
the buildings, each study and sleeping
room will have the sun some portion oil
tho day. The rooms are arranged in
suits, and with few exceptions are cal
culated for two students. The building
has accommodations for fifty students ; il
will be warmed by furnace or steam, and
each study room is fitted with an opeI
CRATE for ventilation and additional heat
il necessary. The plan calls for three
other similar buildings, besides the gen
eral academy building and the boarding
hall, all of which will be built as the
funds are acquired. The academy will
open September /, and though the new
building will not be completed at that
time. temporary arrangements will be
made for the school exercises, and stu
dents will board and room in private
families. The trustees have just offered
the priuoipalship Of the academy to Prof
Horace Mann Willard, superintendent
of schools of Newton, Mass, and he hal
promised to come to that place this week
to look over rhe place and give his de-
cision as to acceptance, A Miss Mason
Of New Jersey. the first lady to complett
the full course aud receive the degrees
of A. NJ. from the university Of Vermont
and one in every way worthy of the posi-
ton, has been chosen as FIRST assistant
Supplementary instruction will be prov
yided as the needs of the school may re
quire. 1t should be borne In mind that
the income of the 100000 endowment
fund must be forever appropriated ex
clusively to the payment Of the salaries
Of the faculty Of instruction.
A well executed counterfeit of the me-