The first schoolhouse opened in this village, accordling to recollections of our oldest inhabitant, was kept in the porch of the old meeting house on Church hill, about the year 1800. Miss Rebecca Morse was the teacher. As the building was not then underpinned, the tinkling sheep bells was often heard underneath, and could not have tended to promote the studious habits of the pupils.

A school was afterwards kept, in summer, in a small building on Main street, where Burlingame & Darby’s store now stands. The few inhabitants probably felt unable at first to build a schoolhouse in addition to the heavy burdens they were obliged to bear, but they manifested the characteristic New England love of education and desire to give their children advantages for instruction. This was made apparent by the erection of a very comfortable, good-sized frame schoolhouse in 1802, on the brink of the hill west of the Baptist church. The entire village, and much adjacent territory, was comprised in one school district for nearly forty years afterwards. Many facts in regard to the school appropriations appeared on the old town records. December 31, 1782, it was “voted to raise the sum of £3 for the support of a grammar school for the ensuing year.” August 17, 1783, the same amount was voted for a grammar school. At the March meeting, 1785, it was “Voted, that £150 be raised for the support of the schools of the town.” This allowance was so liberal, or the people were so economical, that it was not nearly all used; for at the town meeting of April 3, 1786, it was “Voted, that the money granted last year for the use of schools and not laid out be appropriated to the same use this year.”

The question of school districts now came up, and proved a stumbling block for several years. At the last named meeting it was "Voted, that the Selectmen and Assessors of the town divide the town into proper districts." But they were slack or disobedient, for nearly three years afterward, June 13, 1789, it was “Voted, that the Selectmen divide this town into proper districts for schools.” May 11, 1789, a committee of thirteen was appointed to advise with the Selectmen “upon just methods to divide the town into school districts.” May 3, 1790, the people getting impatient at the slow movements of such a large body, the “Selectmen and committee appointed on division of the town into school districts were instructed immediately to report.” A very liberal construction was put on the word "immediately" by the public servants, for no record is made of their report until May 9, 1791, upwards of a year. It was then “Voted, to accept the report of the committee, appointed to divide the town into school districts agreeable to their plan. At the town meeting in 1791 £100 was “raised for the support of free schools,” to be paid in produce at certain stipulated prices, and apportioned according to the number of children in each district.

April 1, 1793, it was — "Voted, that the interest of the rent or sale of the school lands in this town be appropriated to the use of schools only.’ A committee of three was appointed to investigate — Israel Jones, Elijah Sprague and Ephraim. Whipple. They reported nearly £1000 due of interest and principal.

May 13, 1793, Elijah Sprague, Humfrey Tiffany and Phillip Mason were appointed a committee "to prosecute and obtain the town’s property in lands granted to the original proprietors for school and ministerial purposes." This committee was discharged August 22, 1794, and another appointed October 3, 1794. It seems that a considerable sum was realized from these lands, for in 1829 the school fund amounted to $4547, vested in lands which yielded an annual rent of about $270, which was distributed among the districts according to their number of persons under 21 years of age. The school fund, for convenience of management, has now become merged into the general funds of the town, and the school money is raised by direct tax, like the money for roads, bridges and other necessary objects. The amount raised in 1859 was upwards of $3300, of which $800 was for the High School.

The school books of olden times were few in number, and not adapted to the youthful understanding. Much of the matter contained in them was “Greek” to the pupils. The leading book in use was Webster’s spelling book, which, with the Third Part and