English High School - Blue and Blue / Record Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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— 1896 —

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A Qliatpse At the Past ... — 1893 —

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®lj£ English iBiglt §riuml ♦ Instmt In 1821, the year before the old town of Boston, consisting of some fifty thousand in¬ habitants, became a city, The English High School was founded. At that time, in addition to the Latin School, there existed only English grammar schools which were believed to be inefficient for pre¬ paring the boy for a successful future. A sub¬ committee, consisting o ! f Samuel A. Wells, a well known merchant; Reverend John Pierpont and Rev. Nathaniel Langdon Frot ' hingham, prominent members of the clerical profession; Lemuel Shaw, who later became the Chief Jus¬ tice of the Commonwealth; and Benjamin Russell, editor of the Columbian Cen ' fcinel, was appointed by the School Committee to consider the subject of providing an advanced school for the youth of the town. This committee, on the 26th of October, pre¬ sented its report recommending that a school be established to be called the English Classical School and to be supported as part of the pub¬ lic school system. The report states that the school should be for the education of boys only who could pass a suitable examination. Over a period of three years a course in English branches, mathematics, and Natural Philosophy would be divided which would be taught by teachers who had graduated from a University. The report closes with the following words;— Its establishment, they think, would raise the literary and scientific character of ' the town, would incite our youth to a laudable ambition of distinguishing themselves in the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge, and would give strength and stability to the civil and municipal institutions of our country. in Faneuil Halil on January 15, 1821 at which they voted to establish the English Classical School. This name remained with the school until 1824 when it became known as the English High School. On March 13, 1832 the old name was restored and remained until February, 1833, at which time by a vote of the School Committee it came to be called the English High School. By this name it is still known today. The school opened in May of 1821 in a build¬ ing on Derne Street with Mr. George Barrell Emerson as principal master. The building was made of brick with stone trimmings and con- FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE 1817 A meeting of the citizens of Boston was held