End of the Line For Old Appleton? (Continued)

By Linnea Staples

Historic School In Need Of a New Student Body (Continued)

The New Hampshire Sunday Times - Sunday, March 31, 1968

By Linnea Staples

By LINNEA STAPLES

[Continued from yesterday]

…The new Mascenic School for the District takes over next September with a novel “open construction” type school now being built to serve New Ipswich, Greenville and Mason.

Appleton, however never did become a public school. It has retained its charter and its own board of trustees, with tuition for public school students being paid by the sending towns. Therein may lie its salvation. Since this is so the possibility of its reverting once again to its former private school identity does exist, although officials, when queried, declined conjecture.

While today there are no boarding students to air their gripes to parents, this was not always so.

Consider John Francis Kimball of Lowell, Mass., for instance. When he wrote home to his mother on Sept. 30, 1837, to report on his life at New Ipswich Academy the "Appleton" was added some years later- he complained that "the butter is good, the water is bad," and related that "supper never varies as we always have bread and milk..."

Breakfast, also was "always the same" according to young Kimball, "consisting of roast potatoes, butter and salt, bread and molasses is set at every meal."

Dinner, the noon meal, on the other hand was "varied, we generally have a minute pudding of rice and sometimes rice pudding." He went on to explain that "the bread that we have is altogether white no brown our drink is water pure water, the butter is good, the water is bad, the bread is good but rather coarse to my way of thinking."

Apparently there were compensations, for Kimball also writes that "Ephriam is my chum and he contributes very much to help me from being idle." And he states that "I like APPLETON, the school and teachers very well indeed..." T. A. Eaton, current president of the board of trustees, voices the widespread concern over the future of Appleton Academy, when he comments:

"One cannot deny the question, 'What will become of it?" Can New Hampshire afford to lose all that Appleton represents? It goes far beyond the basic facts of education, and I wonder if we will not lose values that can never be regained, when tradition goes out the window."

PRAISES STAFF

The present headmaster, Stephen Woodbury; attests to his conviction that Appleton "definitely has not fallen short" when it comes to providing the quality of education necessary for youngsters going out into the complex world of today.

An educator whose own educational background includes both Dartmouth and Harvard, and who has had many years of experience in Massachusetts' s schools, including Fitchburg High School where he was principal previous to coming to New Ipswich, told the Sunday n News:

"After having had long experience in administration, I would o never have taken on the job as headmaster unless I was convinced the staff had the caliber to deliver what students need today.

"Youngsters here over the years have been adequately prepared for the careers of their choosing, whatever their field, and I have had a happy three years carrying on the tradition. Our graduates are accepted in the colleges and universities of their choice, and this is to us proof that our existence is worthwhile.

[To be continued]

James Roger diary entries

29th September 1912

Cool morning turning to rain; lit Church fire. Mr. Lord preached from Genesis 14th “Abram refusing the King’s gifts.” S.S. after. No evening service. The committee agreed today to give me 10 dollars increase on my salary as janitor.