Chapter 4
Schools in Penobscot
Schools in Penobscot
It wasen't until the year 1791 that any serious consideration was given to the formation of an educational system. Although
James Whitelaw had been hired earlier as the first schoolmaster, his services were rendered in the private homes of people. For
many years he taught in the home of William Conner, as early s 1785 and as late as 1791. In the beginning his terms were three pence
per week. Later his pay increased to three shillings per month per student. As it has been recorded in the diary of Hosea Wardwell,
"Mr. Whitelaw must have been quite a intemperate since he took his pay in rum from those who were unable to reimburse him with
cash money. Jeremiah Wardwell also taught navigation and surveying during this same period.
Four years following the incorporation of Penobscot, an education committee was established consisting of Joseph Binney, Daniel
Wardwell jr. , John Snowman , Jonathan Stover, Samuel Wasson, Samuel Russell, Ralph Devereux and Jeremiah Wardwell. They
arrived at the decision to divide the town into eight school districts and erect school houses in each one as soon as it was financially
convenient to do so. These were to be a one room structure that could accomodate all grades from one to eight. Their loctions were
to be in South Penobscot, Mill Creek, The Cove, The Bay, North Penobscot, West Penobscot, Perkins Hill and other locations
where the population was most concentrated.
Elementary Schools
Several years passed before enough money was available to proceed with this unique play, but eventually the first schoolhouse
was erected. Information in diaries, letters, and other literature handed down has always indicated that the first schoolhouse was
built on Perkins Hill in 1809 by Jeremiah Wardwell who contributed the sum of $700. towards its completion. However, recent
research has disclosed that the Devereux School in West Penobscot might have been the first since it displays the date of 1795 on its
chimmney. The Perkins Hill School was torn down in 1850 and replaced with another on the same location. It served the needs of
students throughout the balance of the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth. The foundation is still discernible.
Following the construction of the Perkins Hill and Devereux schools,
additional schoolhouses were erected in the other districts which
subsequently fulfilled the original plan. They were named The Cove School
(2), The Bay School (3), The Mill Creek School, The Herrick School,
The Wilson Hill School, The Dunbar School and the Farnham School. In
the financial report of the Town of Penobscot dated 1885, as many as 14
districts existed. Supervisor of Schools was J.H. Littlefield, gave an
accounting of each district in this report, as well as a performance review
of each teacher. It is interesting to note some of his comments:
District No.1
Summer term taught by Miss Ida M. Gott of Brooksville. Miss Gott
eventually enjoys the entire good will of her pupils. Excellent discipline
is one of her strong points. Her manner of conducting recitations, though
probably not up with the times, has the advantage of being methodical, and
has produced good results in her school. The winter term was taught by
Mr. Manning Perkins of Brooksville. Mr. Perkins is a teacher of consid-
-erable ability, and the few pupils that attended regularly made good
progress during the term.
District No. 4
Three terms for the year, all taught by Miss Fannie Bridges. The summer
and fall terms passed along smoothly, good decepline prevailed throughout
and full credit was accorded the teacher for her efforts. The winter term is
still in session. Mess Bridges is very energetic and possesses remarkable
powers of endurance. Excellent qualities in a teacher. Her services however,
would be far more valuable if she could attend some good school for a term
or two, to improve her methods of conducting school exercises as well as
to gain a more thorough knowledge of the branches taught.
District No. 6
Winter term was taught by Mr. George Bowden. This is a first entire
term Mr. Bowden has ever taught in his own town. A graduate of the
Normal School, he has received a thorough preparation for his work, and
his lobors in this school demonstrated the great advantage of a
preparatory course of trainning on the part of the teacher. I consider thes
school a success in the best sense of the term.
District No. 9
One term only for the year was taught by Miss Annie Mograge of Castine. This was Miss Mograge's first effort at teaching. Her
school was very small and considering her lack of experience, the pupils attending made tolerably fair progress.
This unique system of one room schoolhouses continued to function well into the twentieth century until finally in October of
1953, it was replaced with the Penobscot Community Elementary School, a consolidated system of modern design which was
only recently further updated with an $800,000. addition. Mr. Wilson Carpenter, a native of New York, is the first of whom we
have any records of teaching in the early public schools. He was an elegant penman, a thorough arithmatician and a most rigid
disciplinarian. The next was Charles Hutchins Jr. , who not only taught the elements of an English eduction, but also the higher
branches of learning that consisted of grammar, algebra, and vocal music.
In the beginning, one room school teachers received compensation from sixteen to forty dollars per month. A month consisted of
twenty days, and each day was six hours long. Even as late as 1935, teachers salaries did not greatly improve, receiving about $14.
to $20. per week, depending on years of service. Once a month they received a town order which could be redeemed at the town
treasurer's office, providing there was enough tax money available to do so. If taxes were slow in being paid, one had to wait until
cash was available. In the meantime, town orders were used a collateral to obtain the neccessary credit. However, it should be
added that in spite of the meager income, board, room and laundry were available for the sum of $5. per week.
Of all the buildings erected since the beginning of the one room school system, three still remain standing as evidence, although
most are not the originals. The Mill Creek School, although in poor condition was used up until the summer of 2002 as a storage
building for town equipment until recently replaced with a more modern structure. The Bay School located on Route 199 is still
standing, and with the assistance of community members and the Penobscot Historical Society, is being renovated to its original
condition. The Cove School in South Penobscot served as a garage for the Penobscot Vol. Fire Department, and will be retired by
the end of 2002, as the town is now in the process of building a new and up to date fire house. The Devereux School can be view at
the enterance to Russell Devereux Marine in West Penobscot. This building is also in stages of renovations.
James Whitelaw had been hired earlier as the first schoolmaster, his services were rendered in the private homes of people. For
many years he taught in the home of William Conner, as early s 1785 and as late as 1791. In the beginning his terms were three pence
per week. Later his pay increased to three shillings per month per student. As it has been recorded in the diary of Hosea Wardwell,
"Mr. Whitelaw must have been quite a intemperate since he took his pay in rum from those who were unable to reimburse him with
cash money. Jeremiah Wardwell also taught navigation and surveying during this same period.
Four years following the incorporation of Penobscot, an education committee was established consisting of Joseph Binney, Daniel
Wardwell jr. , John Snowman , Jonathan Stover, Samuel Wasson, Samuel Russell, Ralph Devereux and Jeremiah Wardwell. They
arrived at the decision to divide the town into eight school districts and erect school houses in each one as soon as it was financially
convenient to do so. These were to be a one room structure that could accomodate all grades from one to eight. Their loctions were
to be in South Penobscot, Mill Creek, The Cove, The Bay, North Penobscot, West Penobscot, Perkins Hill and other locations
where the population was most concentrated.
Elementary Schools
Several years passed before enough money was available to proceed with this unique play, but eventually the first schoolhouse
was erected. Information in diaries, letters, and other literature handed down has always indicated that the first schoolhouse was
built on Perkins Hill in 1809 by Jeremiah Wardwell who contributed the sum of $700. towards its completion. However, recent
research has disclosed that the Devereux School in West Penobscot might have been the first since it displays the date of 1795 on its
chimmney. The Perkins Hill School was torn down in 1850 and replaced with another on the same location. It served the needs of
students throughout the balance of the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth. The foundation is still discernible.
Following the construction of the Perkins Hill and Devereux schools,
additional schoolhouses were erected in the other districts which
subsequently fulfilled the original plan. They were named The Cove School
(2), The Bay School (3), The Mill Creek School, The Herrick School,
The Wilson Hill School, The Dunbar School and the Farnham School. In
the financial report of the Town of Penobscot dated 1885, as many as 14
districts existed. Supervisor of Schools was J.H. Littlefield, gave an
accounting of each district in this report, as well as a performance review
of each teacher. It is interesting to note some of his comments:
District No.1
Summer term taught by Miss Ida M. Gott of Brooksville. Miss Gott
eventually enjoys the entire good will of her pupils. Excellent discipline
is one of her strong points. Her manner of conducting recitations, though
probably not up with the times, has the advantage of being methodical, and
has produced good results in her school. The winter term was taught by
Mr. Manning Perkins of Brooksville. Mr. Perkins is a teacher of consid-
-erable ability, and the few pupils that attended regularly made good
progress during the term.
District No. 4
Three terms for the year, all taught by Miss Fannie Bridges. The summer
and fall terms passed along smoothly, good decepline prevailed throughout
and full credit was accorded the teacher for her efforts. The winter term is
still in session. Mess Bridges is very energetic and possesses remarkable
powers of endurance. Excellent qualities in a teacher. Her services however,
would be far more valuable if she could attend some good school for a term
or two, to improve her methods of conducting school exercises as well as
to gain a more thorough knowledge of the branches taught.
District No. 6
Winter term was taught by Mr. George Bowden. This is a first entire
term Mr. Bowden has ever taught in his own town. A graduate of the
Normal School, he has received a thorough preparation for his work, and
his lobors in this school demonstrated the great advantage of a
preparatory course of trainning on the part of the teacher. I consider thes
school a success in the best sense of the term.
District No. 9
One term only for the year was taught by Miss Annie Mograge of Castine. This was Miss Mograge's first effort at teaching. Her
school was very small and considering her lack of experience, the pupils attending made tolerably fair progress.
This unique system of one room schoolhouses continued to function well into the twentieth century until finally in October of
1953, it was replaced with the Penobscot Community Elementary School, a consolidated system of modern design which was
only recently further updated with an $800,000. addition. Mr. Wilson Carpenter, a native of New York, is the first of whom we
have any records of teaching in the early public schools. He was an elegant penman, a thorough arithmatician and a most rigid
disciplinarian. The next was Charles Hutchins Jr. , who not only taught the elements of an English eduction, but also the higher
branches of learning that consisted of grammar, algebra, and vocal music.
In the beginning, one room school teachers received compensation from sixteen to forty dollars per month. A month consisted of
twenty days, and each day was six hours long. Even as late as 1935, teachers salaries did not greatly improve, receiving about $14.
to $20. per week, depending on years of service. Once a month they received a town order which could be redeemed at the town
treasurer's office, providing there was enough tax money available to do so. If taxes were slow in being paid, one had to wait until
cash was available. In the meantime, town orders were used a collateral to obtain the neccessary credit. However, it should be
added that in spite of the meager income, board, room and laundry were available for the sum of $5. per week.
Of all the buildings erected since the beginning of the one room school system, three still remain standing as evidence, although
most are not the originals. The Mill Creek School, although in poor condition was used up until the summer of 2002 as a storage
building for town equipment until recently replaced with a more modern structure. The Bay School located on Route 199 is still
standing, and with the assistance of community members and the Penobscot Historical Society, is being renovated to its original
condition. The Cove School in South Penobscot served as a garage for the Penobscot Vol. Fire Department, and will be retired by
the end of 2002, as the town is now in the process of building a new and up to date fire house. The Devereux School can be view at
the enterance to Russell Devereux Marine in West Penobscot. This building is also in stages of renovations.
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