Sept. 1, 1916. 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder 
Danvers Historical Society 
Page House 
Preserved as 
Tribute to Old-time Family 
KATHERINE GAUSS 
FASTERN Massachusetts is noted among other things 
for its memorials to families, who, as worthy citizens, 
were the backbone of the early life of the towns. In the 
town of Danvers, near the junction of the two leading 
highways, the Page House, is preserved, as the ho:ne of 
the Danvers Historical society, and stands as a tribute to 
the descendants of Jeremiah Page, who first and last, 
served the interests of the town and country. 
The house has a historical value because of the fact 
that General Gage, when in this vicinity, had an office in 
the sitting room of the house, and it was from the eastern 
“window that he could look through his spy glass down 
to Salem Harbor, and keep watch for any vessels that 
might sail in. 
When the trying days of the tea tax came, this house 
became the scene of an event which is now famous in 
prose and poetry. Jeremiah Page, staunch patriot that he 
was, forbade the use of tea under his roof, as did many 
in the colonies. His wife, who had a lot of tea on hand, 
thought the command unreasonable and so she determined 
in some way to evade it. 
When her husband had gone one day and she knew 
he would not return before dusk, she proceeded to plan 
fo» a tea upon the roof, and then her friends were in- 
vited up for a quiet social hour. Lucy Larcom records 
this event in her poem of “The Gambrel Roof,” and she 
puts these words into the mouth of the hostess: 
“A goodly prospect as I said, 
You here may see before you spread 
Upon a house is not within it; 
But now we must not waste a minute, 
Neighbors, sit down to tea!” 
Long before the hoof-beats of her husband’s horse 
were heard returning down the winding road, Mrs. Page, 
had bidden the last guest “Good-day” and made her house 
once more quiet, so that no inkling of the party should 
fall upon her lord’s all to quick mind. 
Years later the house again became the centre of at- 
traction, owing to the fact that gentle Miss Anne Page, 
the pioneer kindergarten teacher, lived here and taught, 
what was probably the first kindergarten in America. 
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It is of this school that the writer would like to speak. 
Quoting the words of a very old lady, a former resident 
of Danvers, who was one of the pupils in this famous 
school : | 
“Any morning at 8.30 the Page yard would be full 
of boys and girls, jumping, shouting and playing ga‘nes, 
waiting for the school bell to ring. Miss Page’s appear- 
ance at the house door was. generally the signal for ‘the 
leaving off of play, and a rush was made to get upstairs 
and into the school room. 
“When the class-room was absolutely quiet, dear 
Miss Page would read a chapter from the Bible, and then 
explanation of the passage followed. After all knelt 
down and together said the Lord’s prayer. Then a period 
of singing followed. Every child was encouraged to sing. 
Those with no ear for music and hence extremely shy, 
finding that no one laughed or made fun, sooner or later 
actually learned to sing most, if not all, of the kinder- 
garten songs. 
“As the pupils advanced in their study, they were 
seated in an adjoining room, rising to the dignity of 
desks, books and regular lessons, Miss Page going back 
and forth between the rooms. During study periods the 
older children were left quite to themselves, and owing to 
the honor system among the pupils, it was so quiet that 
the cooing of the doves in the cote overhead could be 
distinctly heard, and now and again they would alight on 
the window sill.” 
This Danvers woman was the pioneer in matters of 
education and in 1884 when educational circles in New 
York were discussing the adyantages of kindergarden 
training for children, great defference was paid to the 
opinion of Miss Page. She was way ahead of the times 
in many other matters concerning the young and their 
education, and her ideas were carried out in the school 
room. 
Her system of teaching botany was an illustration 
of her realization of the mind of the child. Plants were 
brought in and as the pupils pulled them to pieces, Miss 
Page taught the facts in a way never to be forgotten, and 
(Continued to page 43) 
