SCHOOLS - TOWN OF MARSHFIELD
"IN OUR PARENTS TIME"
BY: ROBERT F. CHEESEMAN
June 23, 1999
1645 THE TOWN VOTED TO RAISE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR A SCHOOL,THE FIRST PUBLICLY FUNDED SCHOOL IN AMERICA.
1700 THE TOWN WAS TAKEN TO COURT TO ANSWER WHY THE TOWN DID NOT HAVE A SCHOOLMASTER; SAMUEL SPRAGUE WAS VOTED TO ACT AS AN AGENT FOR THE TOWN.
1700 THE TOWN HIRED DR LITTLE AS A SCHOOLMASTER.
1701 DR LITTLE SERVED A SECOND TERM AS SCHOOLMASTER FOR 20 SHILLINGS AND BE EXCEPT FROM THE POLL TAX.
1702 PEREGRINE WHITE WAS THE NEXT SCHOOLMASTER TO SERVE THE TOWN FOR ONE POUND 10 SHILLINGS, AND ALSO ALL THE FAMILIES SENDING CHILDREN TO SCHOOL WAS
TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL SIX PENCE TO THE SCHOOLMASTER.
1710 THE TOWN ASSUMED ALL CHARGE FOR SCHOOLING AND HOW THE SCHOOLS WERE TO BE CONDUCTED.
ONE MONTH WAS TO BE AT JOHN ROGERS HOUSE THREE MONTH WERE TO BE AT BENJAMIN PHILLIPS HOUSE
AND SIX MONTHS WERE TO BE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SOUTH RIVER. ARTHUR HOWLAND WAS THE SCHOOLMASTER AND WAS PAID THIRTEEN POUNDS 10 SHILLINGS.
1713 SCHOOLMASTER ARTHUR HOWLAND WAS PAID TWENTY SEVEN POUNDS. THE CHURCH WAS USED TO FUNCTION AS ONE BUILDING, BUT THE SCHOOLING WAS MOVING
AROUND TO SUITE THE CONVENIENCE OF THE PUPILS.
1717 THE SELECTMEN AGREED TO KEEP THE SCHOOL IN TOWN FOR A QUARTER OF THE YEAR. IT WAS LOCATED IN AN OLD HOUSE IN LITTLETOWN NEAR (SUMMER ST. AND SEA
VIEW AVE) A SCHOOLMISTRESSES WAS HIRED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A TEACHER IN THIS YEAR THE SCHOOL WAS ALSO REBUILT THE SCHOOLS IN THESE DAYS DID NOT
REALLY KEEP RECORDS, IT WAS SOME TWENTY YEARS LATER THE SIGNIFICANT RECORDS WERE KEPT.
1737 THE TOWN ORDERED THAT THE SCHOOL BE KEPT FOUR MONTHS A YEAR ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SOUTH RIVER FOUR MONTHS A YEAR IN THE LITTLETOWN SCHOOL AND FOUR
MONTHS AT THE NORTH END OF TOWN.
1753 TOWN MEETING VOTED TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL HOUSE NEAR THE CHURCH IN THE HILLS, THE SAME SIZE AS THE ONE THAT WAS IN LITTLETOWN.
1765 THE COMMITTEE ON SCHOOLS WAS VOTED TO REGULATE THE SCHOOLS AND THE PROPORTIONS OF TWENTY-THREE POUNDS THAT WAS VOTED.
THIS AMOUNT WAS OVER AND ABOVE THE MONEY VOTED TO PAY SCHOOLMASTERS JAMES LEWIS AND ABNER WRIGHT.
TOWN MEETING MODERATOR (ABIJAH WHITE) CHOSEN FOR THE MEETING MADE THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION THAT AFTER THIS YEAR THAT THE TOWN SHALL HAVE FOUR
PLACES IN TOWN AS SCHOOL HOUSES. STILL IN THIS YEAR THE TOWN WAS STILL GIVING AID TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN TOWN.
1766 THE TOWN VOTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE FOUR SCHOOL PLACED AROUND TOWN.
1777 A NEW SCHOOL WILL BE AT THOMAS ROGERS HOUSE IN THE NORTH SCHOOLS WILL BE AS FOLLOWS
FOUR MONTHS NORTH SCHOOL
(THOMAS ROGERS) FOUR MONTHS SOUTH SCHOOL (1 ST. CHURCH)
TWO MONTHS CENTER SCHOOL (BY EPISCOPAL CHURCH)
TWO MONTHS LITTLETOWN (SUMMER ST. & SEA VIEW AVE.)
FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS THIS YEAR WAS SEVENTY POUNDS FOR THE FOUR SCHOOLS AND THE REMANDING FUNDS WOULD GO TO THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
1789 ACT'S OF THE COURT, DIVIDED THE TOWN INTO FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
DISTRICT ONE-NORTH
DISTRICT TWO-SOUTH
DISTRICT THREE-CENTER
DISTRICT FOUR-LITTLETOWN (SEA VIEW)
IT WAS THE SELECTMEN AND THE MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH TO COMPEL SCHOOL ATTENDANCE FOR SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
ALL TEACHERS HAD TO PROVED A CERTIFICATE OF FITNESS BY A TOWN SELECTMEN, COMMITTEE MEMBER ON SCHOOLS OR BY A CLERGYMAN.
PENALTY FOR NOT DOING SO WAS FORTY SHILLINGS
1791 ENGLISH SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED AND THIRTY-SIX POUNDS WAS APPROPRIATED. COMMITTEE ON SCHOOLS WAS CHOSEN TO DIVIDE THE TOWN INTO ( 8 ) SCHOOL
DISTRICTS, AND TO HIRE (8) SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF ALL CHILDREN OF THE TOWN AGES 4-16
1797 THE TOWN VOTED $ 600.00 FOR SCHOOLS THIS YEAR
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOLS AND THE MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH WERE INVITED TO INSPECT THE SCHOOLS REGULARLY.
THE TOWN WAS BROUGHT BACK TO COURT AGAIN FOR THE SHORT COMINGS IN IT'S PROVISIONS ON THE SCHOOLS.
LUKE WADSWORTH WAS VOTED TO ANSWER FOR THE TOWN IN IT'S BEHALF TO THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.
THE CASE WAS FOR NOT HOLDING GRAMMAR SCHOOL FROM JUNE 1 TO OCTOBER 1, IN THE YEAR OF 1791.
1800-1856 SOUTH SCHOOL WAS BUILT AT WEBSTER ST. AND PARSONAGE ST.
SCHOOLMISTRESSES TAUGHT IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, AND SCHOOLMASTERS TAUGHT IN THE WINTER MONTHS.
ONE OF THE SCHOOLMISTRESSES WAS MISS SARAH DUNSTER
1812 SCHOOLS HAD NO BLACK BOARDS, STEEL PENS, ATLASES, LEAD PENCILS. THERE WAS NO TEACHING OF ARITHMETIC, GEOGRAPHY, AND GRAMMAR WAS LITTLE TAUGHT.
EACH STUDENT STUDIED BY THEM SELVES EXCEPT WHEN THEY NEEDED HELP THEY WOULD GO TO THE TEACHERS DESK FOR HELP.
THE ONLY PEN WAS GOOSE QUILLS THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE SCHOOL FOR THE TEACHERS TO MAKE INTO PENS.
WRITING WAS DONE EVERY DAY FOR HALF OF THE DAY AND IN THESE DAYS THE SCHOOL WAS SO COLD THAT THE INK IN THE PEN WOULD FREEZE WHILE THE STUDENTS WERE
WRITING.
THE OLDER BOYS WOULD GO OUTSIDE AND CUT FIRE WOOD WITH AN AX (THERE WAS NO SAWS AT THIS TIME) AND BRING THE WOOD INSIDE FOR THE YOUNGER STUDENTS TO
PILED IT NEAR THE WOOD STOVE.
ALL WRITING BOOKS WERE HOME MADE AND BROUGHT TO SCHOOL, THERE WERE NO LINES ON THE PAPER THE OLDER STUDENTS LINED THEIR OWN PAPER AND THE TEACHERS DID
THE LINES FOR THE YOUNGER STUDENTS.
1822 SOUTH SCHOOL - BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH OF THE STUDENTS THE OLD SCHOOL WAS MOVED ACROSS THE STREET WHICH IS NOW CHANDLER GAS COMPANY TODAY.
A NEW SCHOOL HOUSE WAS BUILT AND STAYED OPEN TO 1856.
MARCH 1826 ACT'S OF THE COURT ESTABLISHED THE FIRST SCHOOL BOARD (COMMITTEE), CONSISTING OF FIVE MEMBERS.
1855 VERBAL MEMORY WAS TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOLS.
1865 TOWN RECEIVES STATE FUNDS FOR THE SCHOOLS.
1871 TEACHERS WAGES WERE $ 25.00 AND $ 40.00 PER MONTH.
1878 SCHOOL BUDGET FOR THE TOWN WAS $ 2,800.00
1888 SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ESTABLISHED FOR MARSHFIELD, DUXBURY AND SCITUATE, THIS SUPERINTENDENT'S POSITION OF THESE TOWNS ENDED IN 1926.
1888 HIGH SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE NORTH SCHOOL, AND LATER ON WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE SOUTH SCHOOL AT A LATER DATE.
1890 OLD SOUTH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION WAS ESTABLISHED
PRESIDENT- GEORGE M. BAKER
VICE PRESIDENT- JOHN H, BOURNE
TREASURER- HORATIO BAKER SPRAGUE
SECRETARY- ESASTUS E. WILLIAMSON
1895 HIGH SCHOOL MOVES TO THE VENTRESS HALL BUILDING.
1895 HILLS SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED
1900 GROWTH OF MARSHFIELD SAW THE END OF THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSES
1903 SCHOOLS ESTABLISH MUSIC AND DRAWING IN THE SCHOOLS.
1907 THE TOWN DESIRES CONSOLIDATION OF THE SCHOOLS, BETWEEN THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND GRAMMAR SCHOOL GRADES.
1916 THE SCHOOLS ESTABLISHES PHYSICAL EXERCISE PLAY, MEDICAL INSPECTIONS AND A SCHOOL NURSE.
1923 HIGH SCHOOL ESTABLISHES IT OWN FIRST HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
1923 THE SCHOOLS ALSO ESTABLISHES A JR. HIGH SCHOOL OF SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADES.
1926 THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS POSITION ENDS FOR THE TOWNS OF MARSHFIELD, DUXBURY AND SCITUATE; DUXBURY WAS REMOVED AT AN EARLIER DATE. MARSHFIELD HAS
IT'S OWN SUPERINTENDENT NOW.
1928 THIS YEAR IS A VERY STRONG PARENTS & TEACHERS ASSOCIATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
1928 ESTABLISHES THE SCHOOLS FIRST DENTAL CLINIC.
10-1-1930 SCHOOL ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR IS 325 STUDENTS
61 - NORTH SCHOOL
121 - SOUTH SCHOOL
60 - JR. HIGH SCHOOL
83 - HIGH SCHOOL
THE SCHOOL BUDGET WAS $ 46,000.00
A NEW HIGH SCHOOL IS BEING BUILT ON NEW MAIN STREET AT A COST OF $ 180,000.00, WITH SOME FUNDING COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
1971 SUPERINTENDENT ESTABLISHED IT'S OWN BUILDING MOVING INTO THE VENTRESS HALL BUILDING.
SCHOOLS
WERE TAUGHT IN THE HOMES AND MEETING HOUSES (CHURCHES) FOR MANY OF YEARS UP UNTIL THE YEAR OF 1789 WHEN THE COURTS DIVIDED THE TOWN INTO (4) SCHOOL
DISTRICTS.
DISTRICT SCHOOLS (4)
1789 ACT'S OF THE COURT DIVIDED THE TOWN INTO (4) SCHOOL DISTRICTS
DISTRICT ONE-NORTH
DISTRICT TWO-SOUTH
DISTRICT THREE-CENTER
DISTRICT FOUR-LITTLETOWN (SEA VIEW)
SCHOOL DISTRICT ( 8)
1791 THE TOWN SCHOOLS WERE DIVIDED INTO EIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICTS
DISTRICT ONE-SOUTH SCHOOL
DISTRICT TWO-FACTORY SCHOOL
DISTRICT THREE-FERRY SCHOOL
DISTRICT FOUR-SEA VIEW (LITTLETOWN) SCHOOL
DISTRICT FIVE-NORTH SCHOOL
DISTRICT SIX-UNION (CORN HILL) SCHOOL
DISTRICT SEVEN-TWO MILE SCHOOL
DISTRICT EIGHT-JOYCE SCHOOL
OTHER DISTRICT SCHOOLS WERE-BRANT ROCK SCHOOL, WINSLOW SCHOOL, EAMES SCHOOL
Robert F. Cheeseman
PO Box 27
Marshfield, MA 02050-4557
(781) 837-3709
smokeycheeseman@aol.com