Utica Free Academy - Academician Yearbook (Utica, NY)

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grif 4.21475 ff' ,1f.fl'f7?'4'l11'Lgqf1ffjAff'.fC'l fffeg. Y, -- ef H 455' H - I . ' ' had lon also. extensive repairs and alterations, Whlfih g time, been necessary, were m2LClG- 111 1350, Ellis H. Roberts, a graduate Of Yale University and later Treasurer of the United StateS, WHS 01105911 as PUD' cipal of the Academy. He continued in his duties, however, 1311-t 3 year, after which he resigned. V The New Academy The site upon which the Academy Was built included front- age upon John Street, and in 1851 this portion of the lot Was sold to the county, which erected thereupon the presentcourt house. . A destructive fire of incendiary origin, completely destroyed the Academy building in 1865, and the students Were again exposed to the Well meant, but harassing hospitality' of a court house. Here the school Work vvas pursued under many diffi- culties, long vacations sometimes being necessitated by the occupancy of the building for legal purposes. But the Academy worried along until 1867, When by liberal appropriations a new building was erected upon the same site, enlarged by the purchase of the adjoining lot on Academy and Bleecker Street. In February, 1868, the new building was dedigated to the cause of higher education, appropriate exercises being held. From this time there is but litle that commands the attention of the historian, the school movi . ng peacefully along in its pre- destined course.

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Mr. Mills had resigned because of failing health, and in April, 1824, Captain Charles Stuart, a half pay officer Who. had served in India, was appointed as principal. Captain Stuart was noted chiefly for his eccentricities and for the extreme simplicity of his manner of living, but was conceded by all to be earnest and sincere, though inclined to be a stickler' for discipline. At this time alsothe ,Academyboasted of its iirst and only resident janitor. Sergeant John Hanson and his numerous family - both bestial and human -Were constantly at loggerheads with the students, ,while wails of infants and evil odors of more evil cooking permeated the ill-constructed. building. Viewed from any standpoint, the experiment was not a decided success and was abandoned. In November, 1828, military drill was instituted in the Academy, the pupils using wooden guns in the exercise of' arms. The functions of the school were for a time interrupted in 1832 by a violent outbreak of cholera. The school building- itself was converted into a temporary hospital and not a few succumbed to the ravages of the disease.. The most important. result- as' it affected the Academy-was the loss of the- academic library, which was destroyed at this time. A proposition was put forth in 1838 to annex the Utica. Female Academy, then in charge of Miss Urania Sheldon. This was declined, however, as her school was then fairly pros-- perous, without any dubious male entanglements. It is inter- esting to note that, according to the new code of by-laws drawn. up at. this time, the use of translations by the pupils was for- bidden, andthe principal was required to compare the best. translations with the originalauthors. ' 1 During these years new apparatus was acquired by the school and new teachers had been appointed until in 1840 the faculty' consisted of five instructors. By legislative act in 1843 the control of the schools was taken out of the hands of the board of trustees and placed in the- hands of the school commissioners, which system is still in vogue. The following year, by resolution of the commisioners, the Academy building was closed to Sunday meetings. At this gg. .g f , . .. . ..,. ... .. V 11.4.1

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But in 1888 an enlargement was made to facilitate the crowded condition of the Academy. About 35,000 was thus expended in erecting an addition on the Bleecker Street side of the building. But even thus it was soon felt that a new building was neces- sary. In 1898 work was begun upon a new building on the site of the present Utica Free Academy. The building had been completed and was almost ready for occupancy, when for the second time in the history of the school, a destructive fire of incendiary origin broke out, and, despite all efforts of the firemen, the splendid new building was reduced to a heap of smouldering ruins. It was y a staggering blow, but, with indomitable courage, the people of Utica rallied and built the 'edifice anew. The building as it now stands is a model of perfect construction and is a credit to the community, repaying over and over again all the cost of the structure in the educa- tion of those entrusted to its care. A - . Prof. Sawyer, who for so many years had served so ably in the capacity of principal at the old Academy, was succeeded by Prof. Goodrich. He in turn served until 1903, when Dr. Benedict was appointed as his successor. Having served but a year in this capacity, he was summoned to a higher office, that of Superintendent of Utica 's public schools. Professor E. L. Mead, the present principal, has filled his place most acceptably, and to him great credit is .due for the present high standard of scholarship in the school. Un Monday evening, the twenty-seventh of April, nineteen hundred and eight, just ten years and twenty-two days after the last fire, the new Academy was burned. This was the third time in the history of the school and the second on the new Academy site, that the school has been totally or partially destroyed by flames. The fire was discovered soon after six o'clock, when Mr. Bigelow, of the commercial department, saw smoke coming from the roof. He entered the building with others, but they were unable to do anything on account of the smoke, so by the time the firemen arrived the fire had a good start and only the