The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

356 HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
In 1798 the town voted to sell the old schoolhouse, and erect a new one of brick on the Meetinghouse Hill. The old school-house here referred to,
stood on what is now the garden of Wm. D. Swan.
It was removed to the present Commercial Street,
where it is still standing, with a brick basement.
This year the town also voted to sell fourteen lots
of land on the Meeting-house Hill. It is to be regretted that the whole hill had not been retained, as
it would have proved a lasting benefit as well as
ornament to the town.
In writing a history of Dorchester, it would not
be proper to omit a notice of Noah Clap, A.M., who
died April 10, 1799. No one, since the settlement
of the town, has had so much to do with its concerns, or was so well acquainted with its interests;
indeed, he knew the history and family relations of
most of those who had lived here previous to his day.
He was a son of Dea. Jonathan Clap, grandson of Mr.
Nathaniel Clap (" a choice man"), and great grandson of Nicholas, one of the early settlers, all of Dorchester. He was born January 25th, 1718, and
graduated at Harvard College in 1735, at the age
of seventeen. He then studied theology, and became
a preacher, but his health was so feeble that he
never entertained the idea of settling in the ministry, although he frequently preached in this and the
neighboring towns. He kept the grammar school
in Dorchester for nearly twenty years, and, for a
generation after his decease, was designated as Master Noah. He was Selectman, Town Treasurer and