Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-08-05

| IGOAAN4IS'
Neither courthouse or jail had then
| gained a foot hold on the height which
was we'll forested and toward the north
Eurmounted by a fine prospect station,
| CVertopp1ng the woods and known as
| RockweIPs Tower. The site of this
| academy was about that of the former
| BehrIsch residence, on School Street
| Miss caull1ins says Of it's location:
| The academy had the rugged hill for
| its background but on the other sides
| the view was varied and extensive;
and when at recess the fair young
! pupils spread in joyous freedom over
the height, often returning with wild
| flowers and oak garlands from the
| nejghboring grove, neither poetry or
romance could exaggerate the interest
| of the scene"
The most prosperous year of this
| academy was in 1888, when the nun-
| Der of its pupils amounted to nearly
| ninety, may of them boarders from
| other places. But the exposed situa-
| ton of the building and the rough,
| steep ascent by which only it could
| be reached, were adverse to the pros
! perity of a female academy, and, the
| historian tells us, sit soon became ex-
| tinct-disbanded by wintry blasts and
| icy foot-paths"
In the meantime, axe and hammer
| FIau pSSun CnSlF SL6aQy progress up the
| declivity. The Jail was erected on the
i summit Of the hill ard the town house
| at its slope. The Rev. MIR. Paddock
! built his house upon the height, in
| 1885. Other dwellings soon made their
| appearance; the trees fell, streets were
| laid out, and before the academy
finally ceased 20 be, we are sadly as
sured that the beautiful retirement OF
! the hin and every shred of romance
had passed away
Miss CauIE<ins notes, however, that
| there was one exception at the time
| when her History of Norwich was
written, about 1916. This was a piece
| of three or four acres on the hiII-the
! present Jail Hill, Of course-belonging
TO the late William S. Tyler, which
had been up to that time carefully
| shielded from change. The old trees,
! the old paths, the old stone steps, had
| been permitted to remain. 1t was part
Of an original grant TO Richard Bush
nell and had never been aIienated-
descending from Benajah Bushnell,
| son of Richard, to his daughter Eliza
beth, who married Deacon Isaac
! Tracy whose daughter, Hannah, was
the wife of Rev. John Tyler, DID.
A portion of this holding is the site
of the present residence Of William
Tyler Olcott, Of Church Street, direct
descendant of the original Tyler.
In the mental Improvement of young
| women, Norwich first and last appears
| to have taken an active interest. This
| is proved by the numerous private
schools established in the town at one
period or another.
I During 1912, Miss Lydia Huntley
afterwards Lydia Huntley Sigourney
the famous pOetress, in company with
Miss Nancy Maria Hyde opened in
/ Chelsea a select school for young
! r
but little more than a year.
In later days, Miss Jane IngersoII
II Of Springfield, maintained a sChOO
II here. Then came the excellent family
| and day school Of CIaudius B. Web
ster, DR.. Webster, as he is generally
II referred to, which, begun in 1G45, was
sustained for fifteen years with IN
! diminished favor.
But the improvement Of the common
schools, and most Of all, the insti-
tuition Of the Norwich Free Academy
eventually ended the careers of and
the necessity for private schools.
The common or free schools Of Nor
witch in early Eres were mostly o
a primary character. The State excise
money and the town rates, which wert
appropriated by law to educatiOna
purposes, were not devoted to gram
mar schools, but were expended for in.
struction in the common branches use
, full to pupils of both sexes in every
: day life.
When the land belonging to Con.
! necticut in the state of Ohio, called
| the Western Reserve, was sold, thu
proceeds were set apart by an act O.
the Legislature. for q school fund, TIT
interest to be distributed Throughout
all the districts Of the state, in pro
! portion to the number of children.
IL Is an interesting fact that Gen
, Joseph Williams, Of Norwich, was al
influential member of the General AS
sembly between 1892 and 1895, and i
has been said that the first proposition
to devote the proceeds of the western
lands to education, came from him
another glory for Norwich and TIT
, history of one of it's favorite sonsi
THE DICTAGRAPH.