The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-04-27
THE OLD GREENS HISTORY
PAPER BEFORE HISTORICAL SO-
 CIETY BY HENRY T. BLAKE.

Green.
 At the regular meeting of the New Haven Historical society last evening an interesting paper on the "Old Green" was read by Secretary Henry T. Blake Among many other things of interest MT. Blake said:
 "The founders of New Haven had in mind the establishment of a religious commonwealth. For the purpose of se- curing such commonwealth they de- pended upon the intelligence of the peo- pie, and this intelligence they sought to secure by system of public education. So it was that they brought to the New Haven colony in 1888 not only minis | ter, but also a schoolmaster, Ezekiel Cheever, then a young man twenty-four years of age, who had previously taught at Harvard.
 Tn 1641, by a vote of the colony, a free school was established, and Cheev- CT was appointed schoolmaster. It Is 1 probable that the same meeting au- thorized the erection of school house, although no mention is made of it in | the record.
 Reference is made to the school house later on in local history, however, and it is probable that 1t was situated on the green, as reference is made to it's having been located near the meeting house. It Is not stated on what part of the green this first school house was | located, and there has been much spec ulation in regard to the location. It is probable that 1t was located at the west part of the green, In the rear of the church, with a cheerful front outlook upon the old graveyard while the jail, stocks and whipping posts were in the near vicinity.
 Tn 1845 a brick school house was | built on the green at the corner of Elm and Temple streets. Free schools at this time were very rare, and were de- voted entirely to instruction in Latin and the higher studies. The primary education was left entirely to the fam lilies to furnish.
 Tn 1860 at a meeting of the colony it was voted that all boys should be taught in the free schools to write a | legible hand as soon as possible, but nothing was said in regard to teaching them arithmetic and the other primary studies.
 Thus this early free school of the New Haven colony acquired the flavor of the ancient languages, which has dominated it's educational institutions till to- day.
 Last year a graduate of the Hill house high school was found looking | fa,,
 "Cheever was not liked by his schol- ars because of his severe discipline, and he also fell into disfavor with the peo- pie
 At last he was called to appear and stand a church trial, where it was de- creed that he be cast out of the church until the proud flesh should be de- stroyed. He left the New Haven col ony subsequently, and never returned Elsewhere he piled his vocation as a schoolmaster until year before his death, in the ninety-third year of his age.
 | His departure from the colony left it | without school teacher or other edu- | cational facilities. Another schoolmas- | ter undertook the task, but became dis couraged and gave it up because more | pupils came to him to be taught their l letters than to be taught Latin. It was a desire of the founders of the colony from the earliest time of its settlement to found a college in New Haven where the classics could be taught.
 'In 1857 new hope was given to this purpose by bequests of Henry Hopkins for grammar schools to be founded in l NnT Ja1 nd ,tp inventory of this property mentions a negro, probably the first recorded in- stance of slavery in Connecticut. Diffi- culties at once arose in securing these | bequests, as Hartford which had the property in it's jurisdiction, refused to divide with the other towns
 "In spite of this, however, the colony | of New Haven started grammar school in 1660 but becoming discourag- ed, voted to discontinue it in 1862. In 1867 the New Haven colony became united with the other colonies of Con- necticut, the old religious common wealth being given up.
 "A law of the state required every town to have a grammar school, and accordingly New Haven appropriated thirty pounds for the purpose of such a. | school.
 Tt was a subject of much complaint | however, that common education was neglected In New Haven. At last a i compromise was made with Hartford whereby New Haven secured her share | of the Hopkins bequest, and the Hop 1 kins grammar school was established on the green.
 "The only books known to have been used in the schools at his time were the | Accidents of Cheever and the primer In the grammar school there were two departments, the Latin, which prepared boys for Harvard college, and the Eng | fish, where some few of the English | branches were taught
 ITO the boys living in New Haven | county the tuition was free, but for those outside fee of ten shillings was charg- ed.
 | Tn 1763 new school house was built on the green near Elm street, and the | one near College street was abandoned. This building was occupied for thirty years and then the school was removed to a building on the site of the house of the Young Mems Republican club on | Crown street.
 Since the departure of the grammar | school from the green there have been several private schools conducted in