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CHAPTER XI.

DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, RESOURCES AND EXPENSES OF THE ACADEMIES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENT CENTURY.

A system of reports upon printed blanks, introduced by the Re gents in 1804, enables us with aid from letters and other sources of information, to present in detail an exact description of the size and arrangement of the buildings then in use, and the endowments and kind and amount of other educational facilities which they possessed.

BALLSTON ACADEMY.

In a petition for a charter, dated January 29, 1805, the applicants say that $380 had been subscribed, and that assurances had been given that a building, known as the Red Meeting House in Ballston would be conveyed for academic purposes, when the new church was finished, with an acre of land on which it stood. One room had been fitted up and a school commenced in October, 1803.

CANANDAIGUA ACADEMY.

"The Canandaigua Academy is possessed of personal and real property to the amount of $30,000 at least. The building is not yet completed, but will be finished next summer. Its dimensions are 50 by 40 feet. No tutor has yet been provided by the Trustees. They intend, as soon as the building is ready and the income from their funds will warrant it, to procure one, and to make him a very liberal compensation. The property given to the institution consists in lands in Ontario county, and sums of money, the interest of which is to be annually paid. Both the principal and interest are secured upon valuable landed property. We do not exactly know the amount of the pecuniary donations, but suppose them to be about $5,000. | Those in land amount to upwards of 8,000 acres." Charles Williamson and Thomas Morrisy, dated 1798.)

(Letter from February 7,

A schedule of property accompanying the above, showed the fol owing resources:

"Messrs. Nathaniel Gorham and Oliver Phelps have granted a conveyance in fee to John Smith, in trust, for an Academy at Canadaque, by the name of Gorham and Phelps Academy, 6,000 acres of land in Ontario county.

Oliver Phelps appropriated by subscription in money for the use of the said Academy, £300.

Israel Chapin subscribes £100.

Arnold Potter covenants to convey 200 acres of land in Ontario county.

Nathaniel Gorham, Jr., subscribes £40.

Daniel Penfield is to convey 100 acres of land in Ontario county. Israel Chapin, Jr., subscribes £40.

Moses Atwater, £40.

Judah Colt, £40.”

CAYUGA ACADEMY (Aurora).

Opened for students December 8, 1801. Value of lot and building, $1,300; of other real estate, $187.50; of personal estate, $528.11, well secured; amount of tuition money, $315.80; value of Apparatus and Library, $12.50; total, $1,642.91. The building was of wood, 36 by 20 feet, one and a half stories high, with a gambrel roof. Three rooms well finished; one 36 by 20, the other 20 by 18. The real estate consisted of 200 acres of land. Tuition per quarter: $1.75 for Reading, etc.; $2.75 for English Gramınar, and $4 for Dead Languages. Board, $1 per week. (1804.) The building was burned October 31, 1805.

CHERRY VALLEY ACADEMY.

Value of lot and building, $2,500; of Apparatus and Library, $375. The size of the Academy was 60 by 30 feet, two stories high, containing two large school-rooms, each 24 by 30 feet, a hall, a library-room, 10 by 12 feet, a stage for speaking and a large gallery, which together with the stage was 50 by 34 feet, and two small rooms of 10 by 15 feet each. It was of wood, with a brick chimney at each end, and had two stories. The lot contained one acre, with a large yard in front, and the location was central. Tuition per quarter, $1.50. Library, about 140 volumes. The apparatus consisted of a telescope, a quadrant, a thermometer, a pair of globes, and a surveyor's chain. Average price of board, $1 per week. (1805.)

CLINTON ACADEMY (Easthampton).

Value of lot and building (1 acre), $2,000; of personal estate (late donation), $200; of Library and Apparatus, $400; total, $2,600. The Academy was 50 by 22 feet, and two stories high, the ends of brick and the sides of wood. The first story had a hall of the size of the building. The second story had two rooms, cach 22 feet square. The apparatus consisted of an air pump, telescope, micro

scope, small hand orrery, pair of globes, compass and chain, quadrant and prism. Tuition, $1.50 for Reading and Writing; $2.50 for English Grammar and Ciphering; $5 for Mathematics and Bookkeeping; $5 for Dead Languages and $5 for Logic, Rhetoric and Composition; $5 for Moral Philosophy; $5 for Natural Philosophy and $5 for French Language. (1805.)

COLUMBIA ACADEMY (Kinderhook).

On the lower floor The upper story reTuition per quarter:

Value of lot and building, $800; personal estate, $59; tuition money, $400; value of Library, $41. The Academy was a frame building 42 by 28 feet, and two stories high. were two rooms 18 by 26 feet, and an entry. mained as one room in an unfinished state. $3 for Dead Languages, $2.25 for English Grammar, Ciphering and Geography, $2 for Reading and Writing, and $1.50 for Reading. Board, $75 per annum. Library, 17 volumes. (1804).

DUTCHESS ACADEMY (Poughkeepsie).

Value of lot and building, $4,000, producing $42; no other real estate; personal estate, $300, producing $21; tuition money, $700; Library, 203 volumes, worth $300; apparatus, none. Academy of wood, 52 by 25, and two stories high, with cupola and bell, with four rooms below and four above, besides two in the garret. A large kitchen and four other apartments in the cellar. Lot 120 feet front by 135 feet. Tuition per quarter: $4 for Dead Languages, Mathemathies, Geography and English Grammar, all or either of them; $3 for Writing, Reading and Common Arithmetic, and $2 for Reading and Spelling. Board, $125 per annum, including washing and mending in the Academy. A universal Atlas, DeWitt's State map; apparatus, none; mortgage, $600. (1804.)

ERASMUS HALL (Flatbush).

Value of lot (3 acres), $800; leased while appropriated for a seminary of learning. Building estimated at $6,250, and lately insured for $1,500, at $72.82 per year, term 7 years. Tuition, $1,386; value of Apparatus and Library, $1,414. Building (erected in 1786) 100 by 36 feet, two stories- a neat frame building completely finished, with four large halls for the use of students, 34 by 22 feet, and about twelve lesser rooms. Library, 650 volumes, judiciously selected. Rates of tuition, $2 to $5 per quarter. Apparatus, a set of elegant globes, an orrery, an air pump, a telescope, an electrical

machine, a thermometer, a barometer, a Hadley's quadrant, a theodolite and chain, 2 prisms, a magnet, drawing instruments, maps, etc. Average price of board, $80 per annum, including washing and sewing. (1804.)

FAIRFIELD ACADEMY.

Value of lot (1 acre given by Edward Griswold) and building, $2,450; of personal estate, $1,773, producing $124.11 a year; tuition, $560, and Apparatus and Library, $160. Building of wood, 40 by 50 feet, two stories, with a handsome tower and balcony; lower story in one room with tables and benches for 120 pupils. At the south-west and south-east corner were stages furnished with desks and chairs for the instructors. Through the center of the upper story was a hall 6 feet wide, on each side of which were 3 rooms, handsomely furnished, 16 by 7 feet, and in four of these were convenient stoves, and were used as studies. The other two were used as lodging-rooms. Tuition per quarter, $2; board, $1.12 per week. Apparatus, a pair of globes; Library, 59 volumes, generously given last winter (1803-4) by a number of gentlemen of Albany and some members of the Legislature. (1804.)

FARMERS' HALL (Goshen).

Value of lot and building, $1,250; tuition, $303; value of Library and Apparatus, $1,018.65. Academy of brick, 34 by 24 feet, and two stories high, containing three rooms besides the entry, two of which are of equal size, 22 by 22 feet, and the other 11 by 8; entry 11 by 22. Tuition per quarter: 25 shillings for Languages, 16 shillings for English Grammar, 14 shillings for Writing and Ciphering, 12 shillings for Reading and Spelling. Library, 556 volumes. A map of the world, maps of Europe, Asia, Africa and America, De Witt's map of New York, a pair of globes and a compass and chain. Average price of board, $1.50 per week. (1805.)

FLUSHING ACADEMY.

In a petition for a charter dated March 8, 1805, it is stated that exertions had been made within the last two years, and $674 had been subscribed. A building had been erected on a piece of ground adjoining the town, leased for 999 years at 6 cents a year, if lawfully demanded. The sum of $500 had been borrowed to put the building in condition for use by May 1 next.

HAMILTON-ONEIDA ACADEMY (Clinton).

Value of lot and building, $3,500, producing $40 a year; of real and other estate, $900; personal estate, $240; of Apparatus and Library, $462; tuition, $494. Building of wood, 88 by 42 feet, three stories high and unfinished; designed to contain twenty rooms, 16 feet square, a school-room, 42 by 22 feet, and a Library and Apparatus room. Four of these rooms and the school-room were completed. The real estate consisted of 100 acres of wild land in Sangerfield, 50 in same town as Academny lot and 17 acres, valued at $50 per acro. Tuition, invariably $3 per quarter. Books in Library, 189. Apparatus, a terrestrial globe, a surveyor's compass and chain, a thermometer and an electrical machine. Board almost universally, $1.25 per week. (1804.)

JOHNSTOWN ACADEMY,

Value of lot and building, $2,000; of Library and Apparatus, $2,300; tuition, $300. Academy of wood, 35 by 45 feet, and containing six rooms, of which two are appropriated for the use of students. The south part of the building was for the teachers, and consisted of four rooms, with a cellar and a cellar-kitchen. Schoolrooms 18 by 35 feet each. Prices of tuition: $1.50 for Reading and English; $1.75 for Reading, Writing and Ciphering through the Rule of Three; $2.50 for English Grammar, Geography and Fractions; $3.75 for Latin, Greek, Mathematics and Book-keeping. Each scholar was required to furnish a load of wood for the winter season. Board about $1.50 per week. Library, about 200 volumes, contributed by a few persons of the village. (1805.)

KINGSTON ACADEMY.

Established in 1774. Value of lot and building, $2,000. Other real estate, 700 acres of land, lately granted by the corporation of the town of Kingston, but not yet rendered productive. Library and Apparatus, $261.75. The Academy was a stone building, on the corner of two cross streets, 48 by 45 feet, two stories high, shingled, and with a cupola and bell. The first floor had three rooms, the largest of which was appropriated for an English school of from 25 to 30 scholars, who are taught by a teacher who has no pay but from tuition. The other two smaller rooms were occupied by the family of the porter. The second floor comprised the large Academy hall of about 42 by 20 feet, and a smaller room for Library and Apparatus. The former consisted of 130 volumes of

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