106 History of Hingham. 



In 1829 one of the four schoolhouses voted to be built was 

 located in the West District. Its dimensions were 31 X 34i feet, 

 and 12 feet high, with accommodations for 100 scholars. It was 

 built upon the lot on South Street, where the West Intermediate 

 School now stands, and was for the " male school." It was 

 opened with appropriate exercises Nov. 23, 1829, which included 

 an address by Caleb Gill, Jr. 



The present West Intermediate School is the same building, 

 enlarged at a later date. 



In 1830 the " male-school " house on the hill in front of the 

 Academy was removed to this same lot in the West District, and 

 fitted up for the " female school." In 1841 it was enlarged by an 

 addition of 10 feet to its length. It was sold in 1857, removed to 

 Thaxter Street, and converted into a dwelling-house, where it now 

 stands, owned by Edward Shea. 



In 1857 the present two-story schoolhouse on Thaxter Street 

 was built for the accommodation of the Grammar and Primary 

 Schools. It was dedicated Nov. 5, 1857, an address being 

 delivered by Rev. Calvin Lincoln. In the same year the house on 

 South Street (built in 1829) was entirely remodelled inside for 

 the use of the Intermediate School, though not enlarged at this 

 time, but 15 feet were added to its length in 1882. 



At Fort Hill the schoolhouse was built in 1850, and dedicated 

 on the 4th of October in that year. Nathaniel P. Banks delivered 

 an address on that occasion. This is the only schoolhouse which 

 has been built by the town in that part of the West District. 



3. Middle District. 



In 1721 a schoolhouse was erected " near to Peter Ripley's." 

 This was in the vicinity of the junction of Main and Pond Streets. 

 This house was removed in 1728 to " Great Plain," and its sub- 

 sequent history will be found in the South District. 



There appears to have been no other schoolhouse " on the plain " 

 until 1758. The distance was not great to the school in " the town " 

 and it was no great hardship for those who thirsted for knowledge 

 to " resort to " that school. In 1758 a committee appointed for 

 the purpose fixed upon a site for a new schoolhouse in the south- 

 east part of the First Precinct as follows : " A spot of ground in 

 the west part of Daniel Waters' Home lot, near to Jonathan 

 Burr's house in the highway leading to Isaac Lane's." The town 

 accepted the site, but whether the schoolhouse was actually built 

 there is not certain. The site would be very near the entrance to 

 the Cemetery, where Short Street intersects School Street, within 

 the present Cemetery grounds. This building stood on the south 

 side of the Common, near to or upon the site of Mr. John Leavitt's 

 house before 1799. Possibly it was moved there in 1797, for the 

 town voted to build a new schoolhouse " on the Plain in the 

 North Parish," and the School Committee were directed to re- 

 move the old schoolhouse and dispose of it to the best advan- 



