The Schools of Mason

Mason's Schools - A Very Short History
The earliest public schooling in Mason began in 1771 with paying Nathan Coburn for keeping school for 9 weeks and 4 days. He was paid about $1.00 per week for his services. In 1774 the town was divided into four school districts and school houses were built. Schooling continued all through the American Revolution, even though funds were scarce. In 1791 the town was divided into 9 districts and new school houses were built over the next ten years and were named in the order in which they were built with the exception of School #1. During the next twenty years the school buildings disappeared, having burned or been dismantled. In 1809 a new school was built in district No. 2 and again remodeled in 1842. Number 2, or Pratt, was the school of Hon. John Boynton, the donor of Boynton Common School Fund which helped support schools in Mason.

	left Number 3 school was on Pole Hill continued as a school until about 1850 when John Flagg bought it for dwelling. In that same year, the Stone School House was built, with two rooms, one for primary and one for secondary. During the 1860s when the railroad came through town and the quarries were in production this school sometimes had as many as 114 students with a number of languages spoken. During this time teachers made $7/week plus $2.50 for board. Today the old school is a private home.
School Number 4, which was nicknamed by the kids "Hardscrabble" , was rebuilt after the original school burned in the winter of 1857-8. Scholarship was of a high standard and several students came back as teachers, among them Robert L. Cumnock. The building is still standing, now remodeled as a dwelling.
School Number 5, in the south district was nicknamed "Bangall". In 1860 its 9 scholars were taught Chemistry, Geology and Astronomy as well as the regular subjects.
The red brick school in No. 6 District was called the "Turnpike" School and was the longest school in use. Built in the 1820s it was closed in 1938 and torn down in 1967.
School Districts Number 7,8 and 9 were in what is now Greenville. When Greenville became a separate town, 6 schools remained in Mason.
	left School Number 1, rebuilt after a fire in 1818, was painted red and called the Old Square School House on the Hill or simply Center School. By 1870 the school was unfit for students and a new building was purchased. The Center School held three sessions and many students came there from other outlying districts for a fee. Many children worked in the Greenville mills and when they shut down they were required to attend school. The classrooms would be full until the mills started up again and the class rooms would be near empty. To see a school photo with 30 children & teacher (s) from about 1928, click HERE.

In the 1870s there were sometimes more than 100 students in one school but by 1911 there were only 52 students in the whole town. The all time low was 10 students in 1946. Mason students were sent to Townsend High School in 1908 where a full high school education became available.

To get a more detailed description of the schools, see Elizabeth Orton Jones' book: Mason Bicentennial, 1768-1968.

School Records from some of the Mason Town Reports
1909, page 23 Roll of Honor for one year: Gardner W. Elliott, and E. Emerson Smith Roll of Honor for two terms: Charles Beck Frank Beck James Beck Alice R. Davis Walter Creighton Lottie Hobart Ruth Newell	Roll of Honor for one term: Alice Barnes Lena Barnes Ernest Barnes Edith Creighton Fred Creighton Marian Hatfield Sofia Oehlar Arlene Whitaker Bertha E. Kirby L. Adele Russell	J. Almus Russell William H. Sebo Rodney Whitney Henry Webber Eino Sipoli Frank Newell Ralph Cutter Perley H. Stacy Louis M. Smith
1947, page 80 ages 5-16 = boys 16 girls 21 = 37 students Townsend High School = 5 students Greenville Elem. School = 10 Sacred Heart Parochial school = 2
1952, page 75 primary grades 1-3 = 27 students grammar grades 4-8 = 26 students

Roll Call, School District 2,
Summer Term beginning April 20th, 1874 closed June 26th, 1874, Lizzie L. Knight, teacher

1. Minnie Creighton ..........age 8y 8m 2. Georgie Creighton......... age 7y 2m 3. Francis Creighton.......... age 7y 2m 4. Leira M. Elliott............. age 14y 11m 5. Jennie A. Nutting.......... age 14y 6. Hattie F. Nutting........... age 11y 8m 7. Nellie Nutting.............. age 9y 10m 8. Hannah F. Hyde........... age 13y 2m 9. Nellie Hyde................. age 10y 8m

10. Minnie Hyde............... age 9y 2m 11. Lizzie Hyde................ age 7y 4m 12. Ida Hodgman.............. age 11y 6m 13. Alice M. Lee............... age 8y 14. Clinton M. Creighton..... age 11y 7m 15. Elmer C. Elliott............ age 10y 8m 16. Vivaldo A. Elliott.......... age 11y 5m 17. Ozro W. Hodgman........ age 14y 3m 18. Sheldon N. Pierce......... age 9y 8m

Roll Call, School District 2,
Fall Term beginning Sept 7th, 1874 closed Oct 16th, 1874, Fennie D. Parker, teacher

1. Leira M. Elliott...............age 15y 2m 2. Hattie F. Nutting............ age 12y 3. Pola L. Hodgman.......... age 11y 8m 4. Nellie Nutting.............. age 10y 5. F. Francis Creighton....... age 7y 6m 6. Minnie M. Creighton....... age 8y 10m 7. Georgie L. Creighton....... age 7y 7m 8. Hattie E. Brown............ age 12y 8m 9. Etta F. Brown............... age 10y 4m 10. Nellie Hyde................. age 11y

11. Hannah F. Hyde........... age 13y 5m 12. Lizzie Hyde................. age 7y 7m 13. Minnie Hyde................ age 9y 6m 14. Edwin S. Spalding......... age 15y 8m 15. Ozro W. Hodgman......... age 14y 7m 16. Vivaldo A. Elliott........... age 11y 8m 17. Clinton Creighton.......... age 11y 10m 18. Elmer C. Elliott............. age 11y 19. Sheldon N. Pierce.......... age 9y 11m

Record of Visits made by the School Committees and others:

Miss M Raddin Rev. D. Goodwin Rev. Mr. Wells Miss A. Wells Miss Alice Conant Miss S.J. Spaulding Mrs. E. Hutchinson Mrs. F. Nutting

Mrs. Elliott Miss G. Nutting Mrs. G. Keyes Mrs. L. Hartshorn Miss M. Hartshorn Freddie Elliott Eva Hodgman

Mrs. Wm. Wright Master George Wright Master Willie Wright Freddie Elliott Miss Cora Creighton Mrs. W. Brown Mrs. G. Creighton

Mrs.Chas. Elliott Mrs. J. Ridout Master C. A. Ridout Mrs. Raddin Mrs. H. Hodgman Mrs. A. Elliott Rev. D. Goodwin Miss J. Goodwin

List of Text Books as have been used.

Sargent's & Hillard's Readers Robinson's Greenleaf's & Collin's Arithmetic Garyot's Geography

Quickenbo's Grammar, Grun's Analysis Quickenbo's History Robinson's Algebra Sargent's Speller

Roll Call, School District 2,
Winter Term beginning Nov. 16th, 1874, F.D. Parker, teacher

1. Lura M. Elliott .................... 13y 6m 2. Gertie A. Nutting ................. 14y 7m 3. Jennie A. Nutting ................. 14y 6m 4. Ida L. Hodgman .................. 12y 5. Hattie F. (T?) Nutting............. 13y 7m 6. Hannah F. (T?) Hyde ............ 13y 7m 7. Nellie Hyde........................ 11y 2m 8. Minnie Hyde ...................... 9y 7m 9. Lizzie Hyde ....................... 7y 8m 10. Hattie E. Brown ................ 12y 11m 11. Etta F. (T?) Brown ............. 10y 6m 12. Nellie N. Nutting ............... 10y 3m 13. Minnie M. Creighton ........... 9y 1m 14. Georgie L. Creighton .......... 7y 8m 15. Finis F. Creighton ............. 7y 9m

1. Lucius B. Nutting ............................. 17y 1m 2. Frank E. Tarbell ............................... 17y 2m 3. Clarence Elliott ................................. 14y 7m 4. Vivaldo A. Elliott .............................. 11y 10m 5. Ozro W. Hodgman ............................ 14y 9m 6. Elmer C. Elliott ................................. 11y 2m 7. Nelson L. Brown .............................. 15y 8. Clinton M. Creighton .......................... 12y 2m 9. Clarles J. Brown ............................... 17y 6m 10. Willis W. Creighton .......................... 18y 2m 11. Edwin S. Spaulding .......................... 15y 11m 12. Arthur E. Chase ............................... 13y 10m 13. Sheldon N. Pierce ............................ no age given

Record of Visits made by the School Committees and others:

Miss Minnie Hodgman Mrs. J. Peterson Mrs. P. French Miss Mabel Haines Rev. D. Goodwin Miss Ida Nutting

Miss Angeline Elliott Miss Lizzie Elliott Mr. Arthur Nutting Mr. Robert Forbes Mr. Charles Brown

List of Text Books as have been used.

Sargent's Series Readers Arithmetic - Robinson's Higher & Practical Greenleaf's Com. School Colburn's & Greenleaf's Mental Geography - Groyt's Series

Grammar - Well's, Green's Analysis Philosophy - Gnuckenbes's (?) Algebra - Robinson's Book-Keeping - Mayhew's Practical

Roll Call, School District 4,
Winter Term beginning Dec 7th, 1874, A.G.Stearns, teacher

1. Lydia W. Cumnock .........age 17y 10m 2. Lydia E. Campbell ......... age 18y 6m 3. Martha A. Adams ........... age 12y 4. Ellen A. Worcester.......... age 10y 5. Nellie F. Flagg .............. age 10y 6. Irena Worcester...............age 12y 10m 7. Mertie B. Adams..............age 5y 11m 8. Ida White ......................age 9y 9. George W. Cummock........age 20y 10m

10. Samuel Gailey............ age 16y 9m 11. Willie J. Baxter........... age 15y 6m 12. George G. Davis......... age 14y 13. Charles H. Flagg ........ age 13y 10m 14. Robert S. Gailey......... age 12y 10m 15. George A. Adams........ age 9y 6m 16. George B. Richardson... age 8y 2m 17. Eddie H. Richardson..... age 6y 7m 18. Anson(?) Worcester...... age 9y 6m

Record of Visits made by the School Committees and others:

Rev. Daniel Goodwin Miss Nettie Ford Mrs. E.B. Richardson Martha Blanchard Miss Merriam Polley Fred W. Lowell Miss Carrie Parker Mrs. M. Cummock Mrs. Agnes Adams Mr. Wells

Rev. D. Goodwin Miss Addie Briggs Fannie Thayer L.E. Shattuck Miss Briggs Miss Thayer Mr. E. White Mr. J. E. Dickerman Mrs. E. Richardson Mrs. Blanchard

Miss Mary Flagg Alfred Garbell Mrs. M.G. Cummock Ella Shattuck S. J. Baxter Addie Morgan Mary A. Baxter Mr. L.W. Wright Mrs. L.W. Wright Mrs. A.G. Stearns

R. L. Cumnock Fred Childs Miss G.A. Ingalls Mr. H.D. Davis Mr. G.C. Dillman Mr. A.E. Stearns Mrs. J. Ballou Mary Ballou

List of Text Books as have been used.

Sargent's Series Readers Hillard's Primer (1 copy) Garyot's Geography Well's Grammar, Tower's Grammar Sargent's Pronouncing Speller

Greenleaf's Algebra Greenleaf's Primary Arithmetic Eaton's Intellectual Arithmetic Eaton's Common School Arithmetic