The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-18
Washington County Grammar
School.

in order. Among " first things 3" recorded
in one of Hon. e. p. Walton's contributions
to the Vermont Historical Magazine is the fol-
lowing:
THE first school was kept in log house
on the river near MiddleseX line by Jacob
Davis, Jr., and continued from about 1889
to 1871. In 1871 school was kept in the
village in Colonel Davis house by David
Wing, Jr., who was subsequently secretary
of state. In 1894 the town was divided into
six districts and the schools were regularly
thereafter"
Washington County Grammar School is
lneal descendant of Montpelier Academy,
which was incorporated November 7, 1900,
Hon. David Wing. Its trustees were
Colonel Jacob Davis, Charles Buckley,
David Wing, Jr., Jerahmel b. Wheeler and
Thomas West, Jr The building was forty
four by thirty-six feet in dimensions on the
ground, had two stories and apartments
for the teacher and family. In October,
1913, an act was passed changing the cor
poration to 60 the trustees of Washington
County Grammar School," in view of the
fact recited in the charter that the academy
building was convenient for the accommo-
dation of grammar school, and to insure
the use of the grammar school funds. This
academy was situated on the triangle on
Main street at the intersection of Spring
street, near the academy bridge" 1t was
burned in 1899, a new one built in 1923, of
brick, at a cost of 81 1000, and vacated in
1859. when the school was united with the
Montpelier Union School in the building
now in use, then built at a cost of $4,000
under the supervision of Hon. Roderick
Richardson, and considered the finest in the
state. The old academy building was torn
down soon after it was vacated.
AS appears again in Mr.. Walton's papers,
the principal instructors of the Academy and
Grammar School until its union with the
Graded School were James Whorter, James
Dean afterwards professor of mathematics
in the University of Vermont, Joseph Sill,
Benton PiXley (who was the incumbent at
the time the former school was Incorporated,
and afterwards clergyman in Wiliamstown
and missionary among the western Indans),
and others, to Jonathan G. Southmayd.
Though his predecessors were worthy, the
latter is especially mentioned in Thomp-
sons Vermont for the fact that to his long
term of service (twelve years. and to his
peculiar combination of fine qualities, both
as teacher and as man, not only the edu-
cational interests of the town, but also its
social, moral and general intellectual i'm
provement, are largely indebted Mr.. Wal
ton says: :" For many years, dating from the
preceptorship of Mr.. Southmayd, Washing
ton County Grammar School was, among
others of its day, of the highest reputation
in the state, sending out as teachers, clergy
men, lawyers, physicians and public men
long roll to the high honor of the institu-
ton and its instructors" Among this ex-
celent pedagogue's successors were Au-
gustus A. Wood, afterwards clergyman in
New York; Aaron G. Pease, clergyman in
Vermont; Calvin Pease, professor and presi-
dent of the University of Vermont who
died while pastor of Presbyterian church
at Rochester, n. Y, and George n. Clark
professor in the University of Vermont and
clergyman and secretary of the American
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mis-
sions. Later Mr.. Gorham taught for pc
riod of some ten years, beginning in the
sixties. But most of the teachers served
only one or two years. j. A. DeBoer, the
present incumbent has taught three years.
The original trustees of Washington
County Grammar School were Ezra Butler,
John Peck, Charles Bulkley, Chester
Wright, Aaron Palmer, James Fisk, Abel
Knapp, Nicholas Baylies, Nathan Robinson,
Amariah Chandler, Caleb Curtis and Jona-
than Kline. In April, 1915, Jeduthan
Loomis and Timothy Merrill were added.
The terms'of the charter required that the
trustees do not exceed fifteen in number.
OF the original board the officers chosen
were: President, Charles Bulkley; clerk,
Chester Wright; agent, Nicholas Baylies;
prudential committee, Nicholas Baylies,
John Peck, Aaron Palmer; treasurer, Ches-
ter Wright.
Among subsequent trustees have been
Samuel Prentiss, James ii. Langdon, Cen
eral Ezekiel p. Walton, Araunah Waterman,
Joseph Reed, Joseph Howes, Samuel Hop
kins, E. p. Jewett, Colonel Charles Paine,
Rev. Sherman Kellogg, Isaac F. Reddeld,
James Spaulding, Daniel Thompson, Rev.
John Gridley, Jeremiah f. Marston, Oramel
II. Smith, Stoddard b. Colby, f. f. Merrill,
c. w. Bancroft, Charles Reed, Charles
Clark, Rev. William II. Lord, Rev. Eli
Ballou, Edward f. Prentiss Rev. F. w.
shelton Roderick Richardson, c; W. Will
lard, j. a. Page, j. G. Emery, L. p. Red
field, Rev. Andrew Hull and w. w. Pres
colt. On the present board are Henry Mutt
(who succeeded Jeduthan Loomis in 1S43),
f. p. Walton (who succeeded +. p. Walton
in 1853, John c. Emery, Charles Dewey, =.
p Pitkin, Rey' J. Edward Wright, Fred
E. Smith, j. G. Houghton Hiram Carleton,
Rev. j. III. Hincks, Rev. Howard f. Hill
Hiram A. Huse, L. g. Phinney and j. III
Lucia. OF these Messrs. Mutt and Walton
are the oldest members and received their
early education at the school of which
| they are now trustees. Colonel Smith has
held the position of secretary ever since
his election as trustee in 1873.
Regulations that now seem curious ap-
! peared in the bylaws of the old school
! providing that every scholar admitted to the
school shall be nine years old, excepting
| that for the study of Greek and Latin
scholars under that age may be admitted
Every scholar was amenable to the pre-
ceptor for conduct in school or elsewhere
and was required, among other things, &c
avoid "gaming, idleness, tavern-haunting
late hours abroad, profanity, intemperance
Sabbath breaking, to attend public worship
and to exhibit a pattern of industry, So
briefly, regularity and good manners"
For any violation of these requirements
the extreme penalty was expulsion. Bibles
were furnished, "to be used only in seri
Gus manner in connection with religious
exercises" Books were offered as prem
ums for excellence in scholarship as early
as 1874.
From the records and other sources of in,
formation it appears that the school has
had a library and philosophical apparatus
for over fifty years An agent was ap
pointed TO solicit donations for the purchase
of such additional facilities in 1926, but fol
several years seems to have met with NJ
substantial success. The school now has
good chemical apparatus adequate TO III
needs, IA philosophical apparatus not st
fully up to its requirements but gooC
working library of genuine value, consisting
of some 1900 volumes. 1t Is rich in workl
of history, biography and reference, but tn,
addition of recent scientific works and tn,
classics of American literature is desirable
Principal DeBoer is now rearranging ant
is TO catalogue the books in way that viii
further their usefulness. Since the vote o
the board of trustees taken last year, abol
ishing the tax OF ten cents per term the Ii
brary has been more largely used. The us,
that scholars have made of the public Ii