The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-19
CENTURY MARK
HAS BEEN PASSED
BY OLD ACADEMY
Brick Structure at Old Benning-
ton Has Unique History
TOWNS PRIDE IN IT'S DAY
John V. D. S. Merrill Writes In
terestingly Of Structure
Built 100 Years Ago

The question is often asked con
cern ng the brick structure with tn,
white steeple standing on the east
side OF the street, midway betweer
the Old First Church and Bau.t
Monument and the reply 4as inyarl
ably been that il was the Old Acade
my whore once upon time on,
fathers and mothers went to school
High up and lmbedded In lis red
brick front is q small slab that tells
the passerby when It was erected
In a letter from Isaac TichenOr Rob
inson TO his brot ar Jonathon f. the
latter In New York City, dated Nov
8, 1921, the former writes. Our
academy Is about finished; It Is the
best building in the county, FIRE
proof, and will be an honor to the
town
In the diary o. Hiram Harwood
Esquire dated Dec 10, 1921, one
reads: "a southeast storm over
turned the steeple OF the aew acade.
my" Tils was great disappOint.
men to the people of Bennington and
il is said that the building remained
without steopic for a whole year
In carrier days II was considered
an honor here IN Bennington for
boys TO be chosen 70 watch ~ the
beltry of the Old Academy until mid.
night when t'ey were TO ring the
lell which was 10 be the signal for
the Fourth Of July &c .ebratCu TO ne.
lin.
1ho io+, NJ Thorto. C.vl,,,vr E,f.
insCn d. D.. once 4 bennington boy
has given most vivid description
Of a boys feelings VIII lie watching IN
the old belfry:.-."You get angry
and you get sleepy and you get su-
rerstitious and get shiyering before
you know il, but do you suppose any
body Is going to give IN for ! that
You cuddle down beside the timhers,
you crowd up close together you
hear the spirit like VIII OF the night
lirds as they hurry by the splre,
you listen comfortably 10 t3 IA;
away haying Of the house dogs, zen
YOU begin to wonder what time i Is.
Somebody has watch o. somebody
has borrowed one You stand up
and shake yourself a little, You peer
over tho balustrade into the awful
depths beneath, you start the ques-
ton w. ether any te.lOw could live II
he fe ! down TO the S dewalk, some
body knows OF an instance o such O
thing which occurred scmewher"
and that slirs up the horror and sug
gests impressiyely that you sit down
again with your back 10 q beam, then
IN, grand shadows Of the latest
hours yaa ever knew s'rce yuu Wee
alive hang hcay!E overhead, and
you look 10 see what time il is. The
stars march right on through ,he
reecy clouds as you imas ned the
Continental soldiers must have
marc ID through the ranks Of the
cid British III the Revolution. And
the d. ep shy is wonderfully blue and
rerhaps the wierd northern lights
stream acres the zenith. or flashes
Il heat lightning play low on the
)rizoA. Down below yol slumhers
the ua.ae .Eci0us village; and then
YOU wonder what time IL is; and so
me beautiful solemn night passes
ca.
BleaL winds have whist'ed throus.
tho belfry of Toe Old academy and
me SHOWS of many an old time New
l'ugland winter have dri ted at RS
; ase since first ts doors were opened
rs an inst tuition Of learning and our
fathers and mothers went there -
sehoOl
II was not however the first insa
tntlon OF this kind erected in Ben
nlngton. The FIRST school house
stood not far from the ')use now
rwned by Alrs, Charles f. Patterson
nd was butt Of tumaraCk logs on.
tanned in Il swamp near by.
In 1880 Clio Hall was established
md was the Arst Incorporated
academy in the state 1t stocd on the
corner where the Old First Church
now stands and there was me
when part OF its foundation might
le seen in tho cellar OF that chureh.
II was a flourishing school for some
limo hnt unfortunate y it vas 0e'
troyed by fire IN 1903 ,.m
The people living below the M,
missed having school at thal emu
rg the town, so when the Mount an
thony Seminary was establi' ''eo IA
tSSS there was great rejoicirs IN
that district. ,,i,,.1
hut the children who we're ooliSeu oliSe,
to attend the pioneer as the new
school was called received very ol.
Ten quite rough treatment from t' tn'
Soys Of the old line ere academy,
,,ho oonsidcred their school was not