in Provincial Congress, to be
held at the meeting-house in Watertown.
His great life-work now began, a work which will be more fully described
hereafter. In all the relations and duties of student, patriot, business
man, judge, lieutenant-governor, and founder of Phillips Academy, he won
for himself a good report, and helped to lay lasting foundations.
"Phillips School," as it was at first called, was opened April 30, 1778,
in a "rude building of one story about 30 x 25 feet, done off
temporarily in the plainest manner for the purpose, and not intended for
more than thirty or forty scholars." From this small beginning the
school has developed into the widely-famed Academy, which numbers more
than three thousand graduates, and under whose instruction have passed
about eleven thousand pupils. The limits of this article prevent a
notice of those alumni who have become justly famous, and also of the
very strong faculty of instructors, at whose head stands one of the
foremost of American educators, under whose wise direction Phillips is
fast becoming the synonyme of Rugby, and is already one of the important
sources of supply of student-life for Harvard and Yale.
In 1785 the "joiner's shop" gave place to a new academy, which stood
west of where Brechin Hall now stands, and which was burned in 1818. The
third academy, erected in the same year, is now used as the gymnasium.
In 1865 the present academy came into being. It is a noble structure,
with excellent facilities for educational work. Its spacious hall,
where occur the commencement exercises, and the annual contests for the
various prizes, is adorned by the portraits of many of the Academy's
illustrious dead.
The new laboratory is a part, already finished, of the proposed
building, for the use of the classes in the natural sciences.
For want of funds in hand, only the east wing has been built, and this
is now occupied by the class in analytical chemistry. When completed,
the building will be a beautiful and a convenient structure. The walls
will be of pressed brick laid in red mortar, with dark granite base, and
Nova Scotia sandstone trimmings. The roof will be covered with Monson
slate. The basement will be eleven feet high, mostly above ground, and
will serve for the force-pump, heating apparatus, and for rough storage.
The chemical laboratory will occupy the main floor, and will be a room
40 x 30 feet. Abundant light and air are to be supplied by windows on
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