Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-14
10TH ANNIVERSARY OF
WOODSTOCK ACADEMY.
Reunion of Alumni Saturday in Honor
of the Day-kiow the Institution Was
Founded

There was reunion of the Alumni
association land large gathering 0Z
townspeople and friends of tho instf-
tuition at 'Woodstock Saturday after
noon when the exercises commemora- :
tive of the 10th anniversary of the
academy were held
The academy is one of the few sur.
wing educa tional institutions that
were established in this county during
the early part of the last century a1dt
has in its list of graduates and former
students the names of men who have
become truly great and figures of ma
tional Importance.
Founded in 1901.
The story of the founding of the in 70
| stitution is entertainingly told by E.
| len D. Earned of Thompson in her
| history of Windham county. This
| writer sets forth the fact that previous
| to the founding of the academy the ed
| ucational facilities OF the town oil
| Woodstock were not wholly adequate.
but perhaps as good as circumstances
| would permit and gradually Improving
| For time the ecclesiastical societies
| had met the cost of the schools. out
] later about 1895, this duty was taken
up by the school societies. The private
schools were then but few in numbsy
and of no general benefit Those Of
| the families of Woodstock who desired
and could afford to meet the cost Of a
| more complete education for tn II
| children sent them to the academies
already established in P1ainfeld and
| Canterbury, but this plan was too ex-
| pensive for most of the people.
! The success with which the Plain
field and Canterbury academies met,
| however inspired General Mcclellan,
his sons Mr.. Lyman. Deacon Morse
! David Holmes and other leading cit
zens of Woodstock to believe that A
| similar institution should be estaa-
lished in their town. and so brought
the matter before the public
And so at a meeting of the prspri-
etors of the south half of Woodstock.7
on Jan. IL, 1901 grant to said mo
prietors was given to set q building on
the common north of the meeting
house. The raising of the funds to
construct the building was a problem
Sacrifices of the wnspeople.
There were no rich men in those
days who were able to spare the thou
I sands necessary for such purposs.
but there was a deep sense Of the need
~ of the community and an earnest spirit
of self sacrifice.
i 1t was proposed that 81 men each
contribute the worth of 800. Prust Ly-
man. a prominent figure among the
early clerics of Windham county. heal
ing the list. Later he rode on horse p
back all about the town and By per-
suasion and argument readily raised
the requisite number of subscribers.
AS spring opened the farmers began
|
lumber, giving it. IT is said. at half lie
[ value. 1t is also related that enough
boards were brought in to build a shed
from Woodstock to Providence,
On the day that the structure frame
was raised farmers gathered from ths
surrounding country TO contribute thsir
: labor and ten days later the front door
sill having been left some ten feet
above the ground, the farmers agai1
gathered. bringing 20 yoke of oxen. -
work ON the grading. Men that were
too old to do heavier work assisted b.
hoeing the loose soil into a proper
grade.
When the building WAS finished a
bell weighing 500 pounds. to be placed
: in the tower was hauled over trs
roads from Norwich. On FEB. 4. 1907.
the academy was formally opened aed
dedicated There were about 100 pa
? pills in attendance at once and the
i school was given announcement AM
., counsel by Yale university.