A history of public education in Rhode Island, from 1636 to 1876 ... Comp. by authority of the Board of education, and ed. by Thomas B. Stockwell ...

WHITE SCHOOL - HOUSE. 313
"'He gave the glass and nails, the cash articles, for the White School
House." Here taught in their turn, and in their own way, several citizens of the town who are now living, together with others who have
passed away. Among these were Rufus Smith and his son Jarvis, afterward a physician in Chepachet. Of this man we learn that he was
much esteemed. Though enforcing his authority in school by a liberal
use of the ferule, yet he would play ball with the scholars when study
time wvis over. Israel Tucker, Charles Mowry and Miss Betsey Brown
also directed the minds of the youth who gathered there. "My first
school," says Miss Brown, " was taught in the White School House, in
the summer of 1840. This building, besides being used for a meetinghouse, also contained the Burrillville Library; teachers were not then
required to pass an examination, or have a certificate. I think that the
Trustee was the only school officer, and there was no law requiring him
to visit the school, consequently it was not officially visited during the
term. My pay was one dollar and a half a week, and board round."
The library thus brought to notice is further described by Mr. H. A.
Keach, who himself taught in this district, as did also his father, Eddy
Keach, Esq.: "In 1823, the farmers collected a library of three hundred
volumes. Rufus Smith was the first librarian. For a while it was kept
at his hotel, which was the old red house in the corner of the roads near
the Tar Kiln Saw Mill. It was afterwards kept at the Smith Academy
(or the school-house), and finally removed to the dwelling of Coomer
Smith, who for many years had it in charge. In 1845 it was divided,
and the shareholders took the books to their homes." This school-house,
library, academy and meeting-house combined, was at length removed.
The house now used for a school, is located on a spacious lot, bounded
on one side only by the highway. It was erected and occupied in
1863 at a cost of $760. Whole number of scholars in 1847 was 42, average attendance, 28; whole number of scholars in 1875, 28, average
attendance, 23.
Had the Democratic prox of 1876 been successful, the town would
have been related to another Attorney General of the State, in the person of Oscar Lapham, Esq., a native of this town, and a former teacher
in District No. 1.
DISTRICT No. 2.
This District, called the " Mount Pleasant," probably because of its
elevated situation, pleasantly overlooking the village of Slatersville,
is in the eastern part of the town. The school-house formerly stood
on the " commons." The School Committee in their report for 1857