Middletown High School - Cauldron Yearbook (Middletown, CT)

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April 1, 1841, a special 1neeting of the Society was held, at which the following resolution was adopted: XVhereas, the success which has attended our schools for the past year conclusively proves that the present organization is fully adequate to meet the wants of the public, and, whereas, the rooms at present occupied for the High Schools are wholly insufl'icient to accommodate in a suitable manner the children of the Society 5 Resolved, that this Society will immediately purchase a proper site and erect thereon a suitable building, with the necessary appurtenances, for the acco1n1nodatio11 of the High Schools. The Society's committee at this time were David Allen, Samuel Bab- cock, Charles Woodward, Stephen Taylor, Richard Rand, W. J. Trench, Samuel D. Hubbard, and Merrils VVard. The committee was authorized to procure a site and erect the build- ing, at an expense 11ot exceeding ten thousand dollars. They were also authorized to apply to tl1e General Assembly for authority to pledge the credit of the Society for an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars. The legislative authority was granted, and on june 7th, 1841, tl1e Society appointed a special committee to negotiate the necessary loan. The committee purchased the site on the south side of College Street and put up a building. From the published report in 1842, it appears that the building was completed in the previous December, at a cost, including grounds, furniture and some apparatus, of x9,5I2.07. In 1842 the number of persons in tl1e Society, between four and sixteen years of age, was about goo. From the published report in I845, it appears that there were two teachers in the male department, and two all of the time and one half the time in the female department. In 1847 the following resolution was adopted: Whereas, the Legislature at its last session appointed a committee to select a place for the location of a State Normal School, Resolved, that should this city be selected for a State Normal School, the committee of this Society for the ensuing year be authorized to offer the use, gratuitously, of the upper story of the High School building for this purpose. The State Normal School was Hnally located in New Britain. The last meeting of record of the City School Society was held Sep- tember 22, 1856. In 1857 the Society failed to elect olicers. A meeting of the freemen was called by the selectmen and held October I2, 1857,

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the meeting adjourned to August I4tll, when a Society's committee was appointed, who were U directed to take the management and supervision of the present district schools and make them as efficient as the circum- stances of the case will admit. This action abolished the district organizations, and the former four became practically one district. The Society's connnittee appointed at this meeting were William J. Trench, David Allen, Charles Woodward, Horace Clark, Linus Coe, Richard Rand, Samuel D. Hubbard, and Jonas Chapin. William S. Camp wasthe first clerk and treasurer of the Society. At this meeting the following record appears: The Society's com- mittee were requested to report so111e plan for a High School to a future meeting. January 29, I84O, a meeting was held to hear the report of this com- mittee. After listening to the report, the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, that the committee men of the City School Society of Middletown be, and are, hereby empowered to hire the rooms under the Episcopal church in this city for the purpose of having kept therein high schools for said School Society, and to have the same prepared for said purpose as soon as may be, and that said COll1llllllEC men be, and they are, hereby authorized to hire suitable teachers for said schools, and to put said schools into operation as soon as i11 their judgment it shall be thought best, agreeable to the plan this day submitted by said committee men in their report. The building referred to is now the Russell Library. At the same meeting a tax of one and a half cents on the dollar was voted to pay the expense incurred. The schools were duly opened in the rooms mentioned i11 tl1e resolu- tion in I84.0. The record speaks of schools, it was practically one school, but in reality one for the girls and one for the boys. Rev. Alfred Saxe, a graduate of Wesleyan in the class of 1838, was the first principal. Con- tinuing until IS43, he was at the same time Professor of Normal Instruc- tion in NVesleyan University. Mis Hovey had charge of the girls' school until 1845. Thus began the first free public High School in this State. It would be interesting to know how many pupils there were, tl1e names of other teachers, and many other matters in connection with the new school. It would also be interesting to trace its history down to the present time. But this is impossible at this time, because there are no records of tl1e Society's committee and no reports, except such meager o11es as were sometimes published in the newspapers.

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at which, by vote, the School Society b6C21ll1C the City School District, and a Board of Education of six persons was elected. The iirst election of teachers by the IIEXV hoard was held October 26, ISS7, NVllCll Mr. Samuel Coburn was elected principal, Mr. J. XV. Ellis first assista11t, and Miss E. R. Blair second assistant. There were three teachers i11 tl1e junior department. Mr. Coburn continued until 1860, when l1e was succeeded by Henry A. Balcam, of Stamford. Mr. Balcam was succeeded in 1865 by Henry E. Sawyer, from Concord, N. H. In 1878 I. C. Libby b6C2llll6 the principal, alld was succeeded in 1880 by Ii. H. Wilson. I11 1884 Willia111 E. Hulbert was elected, and continued 1111til 1887, Wllell Walter B. Ferguson, the present incumbent, was elected. In 1863, the first' available record, it appears that while i11 tl1e High School building 011 College Street there were tive teachers, included i11 two departments, tl1e senior and junior, the latter seems to have been practically a gra111111ar grade, tl1e senior grade being all there was of tl1e Higl1 School. The original separation of the boys a11d girls had been abolished. In this senior grade the registration was about 100, and there were but two teachers, I11 1868 the inadequate condition of the school buildings necessi- tated inore room, and it was decided to re111odel and rebuild tl1e High School building on College Street. This was done by adding two wings, on tl1e east and west sides, and putting a mansard roof 1113011 the whole. The building was re-named the Central School. The cost of this work was x1,9,484.06, exclusive of land. The work was completed i11 January, 1870, and on VVednesday evening, the 19th of that month, the building was dedicated with public exercises i11 tl1e assembly roo1n. In this build- ing upon the upper floor was a large assembly room where graduatio11 exercises were held. I11 all the certiiicates thereafter granted, until 1896, the recipient was graduated fro111 the Central School. Vet i11 tl1e same building were housed tl1e High School-still called the Senior Department-with six teachers and 127 registered pupils, part of the grammar and part of the primary grades. The committee who had charge of this work were Benja111i11 Douglas, Robert G. Pike, and Dr. George W. Burke. The first record of graduation appears i11 1868. A class of four then graduated, a11d the exercises were held in tl1e Y. M. C. A. Hall, now tl1e Grand Afllly Hall, in the Middlesex Mutual Assurance Con1pany's building.