East Windsor Academy at Scantic

by Elizabeth M. Bartlett

(from East Hartford Gazette, circa 1901)

The paper on "The East Windsor Academy," read recently before an open meeting of East Windsor Grange, awakened considerable interest, and through the consent of Miss Elizabeth M. Bartlett, by whom the paper was written and read, we herewith publish the paper for the benefit of our readers:  

The academy was built in 1817 by a company of stock-holders. Stephen Potwin, Israel Allen and Samuel Bartlett were the building committee. The lower floor was at once fitted up and used for a school room, and many of our townspeople were supposed to be assisted in their education there.
Ezra Stiles of Yale College was one of the earliest teachers, also Mr. Brown, who married a sister of Deacon Ira Wells. W. W. Woodworth, late a minister in Berlin, Conn., was on teacher. A Mr. Waldo taught both summer and winter, and some of the younger children attended his school.
Some pupils came from abroad. Spencer Clark from New York, brother of Ezra Clark, iron merchant of Hartford, was one, and Junius Morgan, the great banker, father of J. Pierpont Morgan, who died in London and was brought to Hartford for burial some years ago, was another. Both these young men boarded in the family of the pastor of the church, Rev. Shubael Bartlett.
I think Miss Sarah Osgood, daughter of Rev. Dr. Osgood of Springfield, attended a term or two. Mr. Benton and Sanford Kellogg, afterwards of St. Louis, taught some time previous to 1847. In that year the room was fitted up anew, painted, modern seats put in, and Sereno Watson, son of Henry Watson of East Windsor Hill, for many years curator of the herbarium of Harvard College, engaged as teacher. Yung Wing, the well known Chinese gentleman, was a pupil for a short time while Mr. Watson was teacher.
John W. Stoughton of our own town taught two terms, about 1838 or 1840, and again following Mr. Watson he taught one term. Also John Fitts and various students from Yale, Williams and other colleges were installed as teachers. Frank Jarman, for a long time a bookseller of New Haven, commenced a term as teacher, but soon resigned, sending James Dean of Yale to finish the term.
James Grush also taught a few weeks but was obliged to give up the school, and Edward Payson Humphrey of Williams College took his place. One teacher, James Moore, enlisted in the 14th Conn. Vols. In the Civil War, was afterwards promoted to be second and then first lieutenant, and was killed at Ream's Station, Va., in 1864.
As far as I can learn, the school was never one of excellence, certainly not in my time, owing not so much to inferiority of the teachers as to the restlessness and indifference of the pupils.
A cupola once adorned the roof of the building, containing a bell which was rung from the school room. At what time it was removed, I cannot tell.
About 1871, the room was entirely altered and prepared for the use of prayer and other social meetings, and for that purpose was neat and commodious.
In 1896, the room was again fitted up for a school and was rented to the town for a number of years. It is still used in this way.
The upper room has been used for many different things, school exhibitions, caucuses and singing schools. My first recollections of it are of a singing school taught by Jabez Allen. Rufus Weston also taught singing school there, attended by crowds of singers and spectators.
The Lyceum met there, when such men as Deacon Roe, Dr. Watson, Rev. Samuel Andrews. Lemuel and John Stoughton, Alman Noble and John Bissell debated with Charles Charter, Ebenezer Allen and Mr. Peacock, causing much merriment. Professor Lawrence of East Windsor Hill delivered lectures upon Palestine there one winter.
The room at that time was in a rude, unfinished state. The seats had no backs and were unpainted. The ladies gathered in this room for sewing societies from 1856 until the war. Every lady in the parish attended. Tea was made in the room, and gentlemen came to tea. Many barrels of clothing were provided for the poor and much money raised for church expenses.
When the 25th Regiment came home from the war in 1863, a reception was given them in the upper room of the Academy.
Mr. Underwood held crowded revival meetings, and sometimes the weekly prayer meeting was held there.
The Grange fitted up this room in 1889 in a very tasteful manner, and it is now used solely by that association.
The stockholders gave the building to the Ecclesiastical Society of East Windsor in 1871.

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Academy update...
East Windsor used the Academy building as the District 1 school for upper grades until 1938, when declining enrollments and hurricane damage led to the closing and consolidation of some local schoolhouses. Miss Georgiana Morse was among the last teachers at the school.
The building remained vacant for a few years, then rented out as a dwelling. It was purchased by L. Ellsworth Stoughton in 1946, and he subsequently converted it to two apartments for area teachers. In preparation for the town's bicentennial in 1968, Stoughton donated the upper floor for use as a museum by the East Windsor Historical Society, which was bequeathed the entire property after his death.
In recent years, the society has spent over$200,000 for structural repairs and the restoration of the Academy and accessory buildings (vintage barbershop, tobacco shed, probate building, and shop). The society is accepting donations for the restoration and maintenance of the museum. Tax-deductible contributions may be mailed to the Society, P. O. Box 363, East Windsor Hill, CT 06028.
REGULAR HOURS OF OPERATION: Saturdays, 9 a.m. - Noon; also by appointment..