The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-02-22
NEWBURY SEMINARY.

NEWBURY SEMINARY.
This once celebrated institution
now known as Newbury Semi
nary and town central school,
has a history equalled by few,
and perhaps excelled by no other
within the State. Established in
1884 in accordance with a char
ter granted by the Legislature
of 1888 under the fostering care
of the Vermont and New Hamp-
shire conference, this institution
at once became popular. Its pat
ronage came largely from these
two states, but students from
many other states and Canada
gave it their patronage until in
1850 the names of three hundred
and twenty-four pupils were re-
corded in attendance in one term
at this institution.
It's faculty was chiefly Metho-
dist tinctured slightly with the
Congregational element, aiming
to make it practically undemoni-
national. It's first principal was
Rev. Charles Adams followed by
Baker, Human, Wood, Hoyt, J..
E. King, Noyes, Cushing, F. E.
King, Smith, Quinby and Ches-
ter, in the above order. Liberal
sums of money were subscribed
and paid by the citizens of the
village and town, for the estab-
lishment of this school in New
bury, which proved good invest
ment.
These were palmy days for
Newbury, new houses were built,
the population increased, real
estate advanced, mercantile bust
ness flourished, and the place as
sumed the air-for time at least
of a genuine western boom.
But this was not all. The young
received a better education, those
in middle life and the aged felt
the influence, Intellectually, NOR
ally and religiously, which to
some extent still lives today.
But cit is a long road that has no
turn" and discomfort and avarice
were beginning to be made man
ifest. 1t was claimed that the
institution was barely paying ex-
penses, and that the buildings
needed extensive repairs, which
the trustees desired the citizens
of Newbury to furnish the neces-
sary cash to accomplish. Coupled
with this fact the president of
the trustees, Rev. A. G.. Button,
claimed that he had received the
promise to be sent to Montpelier
as the next representative from
Newbury, but failing to get the
election he found that his time
had come to retaliate by using
his influence to remove the insti-
tuition from Newbury, as there
were other towns ready to bid for
it, land where they bid the high
est it was whispered it would CO."
which no doubt was true, as we
understand that Montpelier bid
twenty thousand dollars and got
it.
The last term of this institu-
ton before removing to Montpe-
lier was in the summer of 1868.
Some of the teachers and many
of the students followed the school
to its new home. Newbury thus
deserted seemed like a perpetual
Sabbath, and business rapidly de-
clined, and real estate soon drop
ped to unprecedented low prices,
and not a few property owners
began to wish they had put their
shoulder to the wheel and raised
a sufficient sum to put the school
buildings as they should have
been to have averted this catas-
trophe. A majority of the board
OF IIuSISGS CIdlIlCu a lOS III liz III
to sell the Newbury property,
and appropriate the proceeds for
the new school. But after a pro-
tracted hearing it was decided
against them by the courts.
During this period of litiga-
ton, some of the citizens of New
bury assumed control of the Sem
mary property, and Rev. ]. NJ.
Lord of Plymouth, Mass, was
engaged as principal, and in
September, 1868, school opened
under the new management. Mr..
Lord remained one year, and was
followed in turn by A. B. Dan
forth a,d A w R1air both