Bradford Academy - Chimes Yearbook (Haverhill, MA)

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NINETEEN THREE 79 One Hundred Years 1803-1903 S the class of 1903 has the honor of being the Centennial Class, it seems fitting that our class book should contain a short account of the history of the Academy. This institution was founded in 1803 by the people of Bradford, as a means of higher education for their children, as there were no public schools. The school started with fifty-one pupils,- seventeen boys and thirty-four girls,- but it continually increased in numbers until it had gained a wide reputation. Even in these early times, pupils came from all over New England, and often from places outside of New England. The building, afterwards called Willow Hall, was a small two-room building. In one of these rooms gathered the girls, in the other the boys. How interesting it would be to us, the girls of 1903, if we could go back a hundred years and step in and hear them recite their geog- raphy, grammar and arithmetic! But more interesting it would be to see the girls working upon their beautiful pieces of embroidery, for this was an essential part of their education. In those days the school was presided over by a preceptor and a precep- tress. None of the teachers seem to have left a permanent impression upon the school until the arrival of Benjamin Greenleaf in 1814, and Miss Ann Hasseltine in 1815. They both seem to have been persons of unusual strength of character, and both served the school long and faithfully, Miss Hasseltine having been connected with it for over nity years. lt is safe to say there has been no student of Bradford Academy since their time who has not heard of Mr. Greenleaf and Miss Hasseltine. In a series of chapel talks which our prin- cipal has been giving us this year on the history of Bradford Academy, these characters have interested us more than any others. From the beginning the girls had largely outnumbered the boys, and in 1836 Bradford Academy was changed from a co-educational school to an acad- etny for young women. Mr. Greenleaf was the last preceptor, but his work for

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80 THE CHIMES Bradford did not end there. I-le became a member of the Board of Trustees, and served the school faithfully in this way up to the time of his death. From this time, for seventeen years, Miss Hasseltine ruled as principal. Her tall, slender Hgure, in quaint costume and calash, is impressed strongly upon our minds, and we wish that we might have known her. However, it is not too much to say that the influence of her strong personality is still felt here. The school continued to prosper to such an extent that another building was needed, which was built during Miss I-Iasseltine's principalship. This was called New Hallj' and is still in existence, standing just west of the present building. From this time there was a regular course of study, and from the New Hall the Hrst class graduated-seven in number-in the year 1842. Five members of the class lived to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the school, and two are living to enjoy the one hundredth-Mrs. Mary Merrill Oliver of Boston, and Mrs. Elizabeth Cate Barrows of Reading, Mass. At the close of the year 1848 Miss Hasseltine resigned. The three or four principals who followed her remained but a short time, but they were all women of ability, who did everything in their power.for the school. The name of Miss Abby johnson is one familiar to us all, for to her our school owes much. Under her leadership and guidance was built the beautiful structure which we now occupy, and every inch of which we have learned to love. This is by no means all that Miss johnson did that we are grateful for. During the Hnancial depression just after the Civil War, this school, like many others, probably would have had to close its doors, if it had been under guid- ance less able. Miss Annie E. johnson was the next principal, and all of us who attended the Alumnae meeting last October, when her portrait was presented to the school, know that there are many living today whose hearts yet hold the warmest and kindliest feelings for her. She was loved by all the girls under her. Strong, noble woman that she was, Bradford Academy could not help becoming a lovelier, purer place under her guidance. Even though these years found girls' colleges rising rapidly to rival the academies and seminaries, our own school maintained its high position, .