132 



The Albany Lancaster School. 



The income of the society j 

 Allowance hy the corporation 

 School fund appropriation . . 

 Tuition fees from scholars . . 



The number of scholars instructed during the yuv was loo, one- 

 attended the school. 



On April 5, 1817, the ceremony of opening the new school-house — 

 the building now occupied by the Medical College on Eagle street — 

 took place. The house was built bv order of the common council, at 

 an expense of $23,918.93. It was capable of accommodating 400 

 children, and a large infant school. It also afforded a residence for the 

 principal. At its inauguration the services were impressive. A pro- 

 cession consisting of the trustees, principal, and 400 children, formed 

 at the house of the president of the society. Mr. Philip S. Van Rens- 

 selaer, corner of State and Chapel streets (now occupied by Mr. Erastus 



citizens, whence it marched to the school-house.' The exercisesthere 

 consisted of a prayer by Rev. Dr. Bradford, an address by Dr. T. 

 Romeyn Beck, and prayer and benediction by Rev. Mr. DeWitt. 



In the year 1834, for reasons that I am not able to give you, this ex- 

 cellent school was broken up. I only find in the records that Mr. Dale, 

 who superintended the school from its foundation — a period of twenty- 

 three years — had become old; also that he had been a pupil of both Dr. 

 Bell and Mr. Lancaster, prioi to his coming to the United States ; 

 and that he was spoken of as able and learned. In 1832 the first 

 visitation of Asiatic cholera in the United States took place. In 

 Albany, as elsewhere in our country, it caused the deepest gloom. It 



so, left the city for the country. The Lancaster school building, being 



hospital, and cholera patients were taken there for treatment. This 



advanced age of Mr. Dale, and probaMv the' inn-cased demand for 

 larger school accommodations, will account for the passing away of an 

 institution that in its life-time was cared for trustees who were the 

 foremost and beat men in the city. 



I find in other years the names of different trustees, and in all cases 



