History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

1811. — Samuel Turney taught for a short time. He was a native of Fairfield. He dieil in 18-_':!. 1812.— Elihu W. Baldwin tauglit for the enduing two years. He was a most estimable man, beloved and respected by all. After a long and successful ministry he was called to i)reside over Wabash Col- lege, Crawfordsville, Ind. 1814.— A Mr. Worthington followeil for a short time, when Dr. Humi>hrey took charge tem]>orarily till a i)ermaiient teacher could be found. 1815. — Orrin Fowler followed. He was horn in Lebanon, Conn., July 29, 1701; graduated at Ytile, 1815; taught tlie Fairfield Academy one year; entered tlie Congregational ministry; became a missionary in the West; settled in 1819 as pastor at riainfield, Ctmu.; was twenty years a minister at Fidl Kiver, Mass.; often in the State Legislature; in Congress 1848-52; distinguished as a temperance and anti- [ slavery orator; author of a treatise on Baptism (1835), Historical Sketch of Fall River ( 1841 ) ; died at Wash- ' ington, D. C, Sept. 3, 1852. 344 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. 1816. — George E. Pierce, D.D., born at Southbury, Conn., Sept. 9, 1794; graduated from Yale, 1816, and taught in Fairfield Academy two years. He gradu- ated from .Vndovcr Theological Seminary, 1821; wa.s ordained pastor of a Congregational Churcli at Har- winton, Conn., 1822 ; president of Wej<tern Reserve College, 1834-55 ; died at Hudson, Ohio, May 27, 1871. 1818. — Henry Button was preceptor for the ensuing two years. He was brother of the Mr. Button pre- viously mentioned. He was a jurist, born at Ply- mouth, Conn., Feb. 12, 1796, and graduated at Yale in 1818, was professor of law in Yale (1847-55), be- came Governor of Connecticut in 1854, and was a judge of the Superior Court and Court of Errors (1861-66). He prepared several digests, compilations of State statutes, etc. He died Ajiril 26, 18G9.* 1820. — Kev. William Bcldcn had the academy for two years. This school liad a wide reputation until Mr. Belden had charge. There were many students wlio attended it from the South, as institutions of high rank were not numerous through the country. Mr. Belden had a large chuss of youths prepared for Yale College, but not one of them could pass examination ! From that date the glory of the academy began to depart. Mr. Belden was settled as pastor of Green- field Congregational Cliurch from 1812 till 1821. In 1821, "upon the petition of Gen. Gershom Burr, Samuel Rowland, and Roger M. Sherman, Esq., agents of the proprietors of Fairfield Academy," "at a General Assembly of the State of C<mnccticut holden at Hartford, a new charter was granted, the former having by accident expired." 1824. t — H. Benedict was preceptor. 1825.t — C. Whittlesey occupied that position. The trustees were men of considerable note in the world, and all at this period (1821-30) were of much local celebrity. They were the Rev. Messrs. Nathaniel Hewit, Edward Hooker, Andrew Eliot, Leonard Ba- con, Deacon David Judson, Hon. R. M. Sherman, and William B. Nash, M.D. But with all their learn- ing, charters, and account books, the first mention of a teacher in all the academy records is in 1828, when the l>uilding was leascdj to Rev. C. G. Lee, for wiiich he paid no rent further than to keep it in repair. He taught this school in 1828, 1829, and 1830. In 1832-33, A. A. Pettcngill, the late editor of the Bridgeport Standard, acted as jjreceptor. The next mention in the records after Mr. Lee (1828) of a teacher is: "Voted, Tliat Mr. Wallace l)e requested to continue his school for another year and that he have the use of the academy for that purpose."? This was April, 28, 1836. Hon. Thomas B. Osborne, lawyer, trustee, and secretary, records in 1838: " Voted, That Mr. Tufts, of the Senior Clasa of Yale * Fur the above, crc lit it duo E. E. Rniikin, P.D., of nartford, and Mr. J. S. Burr, of Brooklyn, t S«e Deacon JiidMiu'fl Aocopnt Book. I 8co Academy Hook, p. 14. l ll<ld., p. 19. College, be contracted with to take the place of Mr. Carter, as instructor." || In 1839, Mr. James Tufts became the preceptor. He now is pastor of a charge in or near Rochester, N. Y. 1840, Deacon David Judson resigns. The Board " Resolved to tender to him their thanks for his great services and strict fidelity in promoting the interests of this Institution from its first establish- ment" (thirty-si.\ years). Capt. John Gould was voted in as tru.stee in place of Deacon Judson resigned.*! 1840-18.50. — Among the teachers of this decade were Daniel March, now D.D., with a i)astoratc near Boston, Mass., — an excellent instructor; Marsh, who died recently while missionary to Turkey (with one of these men originated the famous " Iron Horse," his graduiiting poem at Yale); Benton; Willis At- water, brother of Prof. Lyman Atwater, of Princeton, N.J. In 1847 it is to be regretted that the boys were very destructive, so much so this entry is made in the rec- ords : " Voted, That while we desire the jnipils of the school to enjoy themselves in all reasonable sport.- and recreations, wc strongly disapprove and exhort them to refrain from the practice of throwing stone> or other dangerous missiles." The next meeting recorded is in 1853, and the next in 1866, making about two meetings in nearly twenty years ! I In 1866 the rates for tuition were: For Greek, Latin, and higher mathematics, ten dollars per quar- ter per scholar. Common and higher English branches, eight dol- lars. Primary department, four dollars and seventy-five cents. In 1867, E. E. Rankin, D.I)., was elected a mem- ber of the board. In the decades from 1840 to 1870 the academy was under the preceptorship of Mr. Morris W. Lyon, a native of Fairfield, a graduate of Yale ; and since lie tauglit in tiie academy he has established a col- legiate institute for boys in New York City, which he has continued for twenty-four years. He alsn founded the Fairfield Memorial Library in 1876, to which he has donated greatly since. This library occupies the lower floor of the academy. He also originated the " Commemoration of the Burning of Fairfield, in 1779," which was very successful ; Rev. Piatt T. Holly, lather of Mrs. L. N. Norton, >LD., of Bridgeport ; Chamberlin; Thomas H. Pease ; Lewis Beers, a lawyer, who was established later in Norwalk, and died, aged thirty-five; Dey ; Jloorc; F. S. Lyon, editor of Connecticut Rc- ■ publican, Norwalk, Conn. ; and Geo. F. Robinson, a i graduate of Yale. In 1867, Geo. F. Robinson rc- ' signed. While he taught here, Mr. Thomas Rowland, I Ibid., p. 2U. \ Ibid., p. 21. FAIRFIELD. 345 an iiivciitdr ami Imilder of ludiiitors, |iiv-^oiiti'il tlic aciicli'iny witli m iiuaiitity nt' varimis >lia|ii'il Mocks, Avliioli, when jiroiicrly arran^xMl, Inniicil a pcrtK-t i^lobo or ball. Wlicii nearly arranjifil tlie coins of the period, the |ironiinent dailies, and all the names of the |)Ui)ils at that time in attendance at the acad- emy were placed in this ball. It was then gilded and ])laced on top of the building, where it is daily seen by passers-by." In lS(!7,t after varicms conferences and l!ev. L. B. Stimson's agitating the question of starting a private school, J[r. .\. P. Somes, a native of Lebanon, N. H., and a graduate of Dartmouth, was employed, with his wife, to take charge of the school, S^IOUO a year guar- anteed to them by Messrs. .lohn II. Glover, O. li. Jennings, \. W. sjnford, H. T. (.'urtis,J: ]M. (i. Betts,: and 1). M. Bunker.J The tuition per cpiarter of 11 weeks was raised to 4-10 for English, :?] 2 for Latin and (ireek, and v<J for the jiriniary. The sessions for school were to be from nine o'clock .\..M. to two o'clock I'. .M., during which a half-hour's recess was to be given. In l.'<(;8 the committee, Capt. D. M. Bunker, re- ported the board $2") in debt, and Mr. Somes reported the want of seats and stove, and suggests that a Web- sti'r's I'nabridgcd Dictionary would be a valuable acquisition to the academy ! 1 ! The seats and stuve were obtained ! ! ! In 1S70, Jlr. Oliver 15. .lennings donated $]m to the academy tin' the ])urehase of apparatus. In 1X71 the income of the school was $12')0, and a committee of Jlessrs. O. B. Jennings, Samuel More- house, ami Samuel Glover were ajipointed to increase the rates <ir guarantee a certain price. As blackboards were needed, a better mode of heating and re])airs on the building necessary, the tuition rates were raised to sfiS, ^12, and $14 per quarter. In 1872 this entry is made : " Mr. A. P. Somes, who has taught the academy school for a number id' years, resigned and left."^ The statement is recorded "that so many cliildren are sent away to school it was inexpedient to employ a male teacher,"|| so a Mrs. M. E. Powers, fnnu Mary- land, was emi)loyed, with a salary of ij'.SdO per arnum guarantee<l her. The pupils then ninubered twenty. In 1873, there being some dissatisfaction with Jfrs. Powers, she resigned, and Mr. A. P. Somes returned and took the academy, to be conducted at his own risk, paying twenty-five cents ])er scholar for academy tax. Sehoid reopened Septendjcr, 1874. In 187;'), Mr. Somes was to collect an academy ta.x of fifty cents per scholar for the use ai' the building. 187'J. — Mr. A. P. Somes resigned, and Miss Lily * Thanks to E. Burr, Jr., for this information. t Fur npi)Iication8 to Rev. Ira I'ottiljouc anvl Rev. L. B. Stimson, see .Vcadciny Book, pii. L'S-ai. I Deeeii.seil. ^ See Academy Rook, p. 41. II Ibi.1., p. 42. 23 Huntington'[ completed the scholastic year on the same terms as her predecessor. An item worth meidioning is tliat during the time of Mr. Somes' eoniu'ction with the academy, from 1807 to 187i), there was not a death occurred among his numerous jiupils. At an informal meeting of three, the tru>tcci em- ])loyed Mr. Thomas E. Eochfort to take charge (d'the academy at his own risk. In 1880, Jlr. Kochfort re- signed, and a vacancy ensued, which jM'omises to be indefinite, owing to the high grade of studie; and system adopted in our free jiublic sidiools and the migratory habits of several of the wealthy fajuilies.