The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-09-14

Our Waterbury. . With the beginning of the school term as of September 946, school buildings dottng the main streets and perched high enences to the nort east and of and sturdy schoohouses holding their own in the rural districts it interesting to look back to the days described to by the old residents recounted to them in turn by still older generation. School days always dear old golden rule days when old Wa terbury had school and teacher lessons were learned at the minister's house, in church. and in the homes. And you know the first young ladies' seminary in the country was not away Ltched to be exact but that's outside limits in this fash-back. Water bury which Mattatuck in 1886 received town prvi leges that year, in all probability school lessons start ed not too long after. Dr. Anderson who most of Waterbury's early history of the opinion that schoohouse facing the Green about 1780 the original Bronson Library which would be in the vicinity of Leav enworth Street. the first here later moved to Central Avenue and West Main Street. its name being the West Center District schoolhouse Early schoomasters were the Rev. Joseph Badger, Judge John Klngsbury, and Jeremiah Day who became president of Yale College and Judge Bonnet Bronson prepared here for college Wa terburys first academy completed in l785 hrst oor for girls second for boys By 1900 and through that century school after another opened. There was
 boarding school started in 1889 conducted by Margaret Marshall and Elizabeth Crafts who had attended the Emma Willard School in Troy This school in Nauga tuck then part of Waterbury, The former Brral home Church Street the site of primary school in 1884, next door to St. Johns Church conducted by the Misses Pitkin and Moore and Mary Ann Clark had primary school here in 1851 the Merrman property her sue cessor Katherine Pritchard in 1864 Miss Prchard later opened school in 1864 Cottage Place. Miss Twning here from New Haven in 1858 and opened
 school for young ladies and children in the of St. Johns Church Other schools in that period and later were the English and Classical school which provided
 college preparatory incorporated in 1875 West Grove Street. with Isaac Jennings master the Hillside Avenue Boarding and Day School in 1883, managed by Mrs. James H. Yerkes and Mary Merriman Abbott; the Froebel Kindergarten in 1885, private kindergarten Tn 1888 conducted by Emma S. Kelsey and Harriett J. Dut- ton (N1rs. William E. Thoms) who is still Waterbury resident the location the present Castle Memorial build ing and others Waterbury first evening school in the Center District started in 1856 Ann Frlsble, who
 became Mrs Frederick G. Holmes, conducted school for young boys and girls at the former Dr. C. s. Rodman residence North Main Street, occupied by Dr. A. r. Vastola Waterbury's second academy, stone bulld- ing established in 1925. The first Waterbury High School opened in January, 1851 later enlarged was burned 187O and second high school appeared in 1875 .. Waterbury also had some business schools in the earlier years among them Harrngtons Business College and School of Shorthand which started in 1895 The Margaret Croft School opened In 19O5 Wlby Hlgh School in 1919 and Crosby High completed in 1896 an outgrowh of the Waterbury High School and named for Minot Crosby principal later superintendent of schools The grammar schools followed the private day schools and academies and erected rapidly with the passing Of years in all sections of the city until the present number and capacity reached to be announced The high schools presently show close to 1500 for Crosby W1by close to 2,000; Leavenworth about 1,1O0 Waterbury Catholic High, 670 and Sacred Heart High 430 quite change and advance since the first high school class was graduated and since Waterbuys first school appeared on the Green.