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

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 453
voted to have four wards-a school in each wardtwo of the four to be grammar schools, and one of
these to be " near the meeting house;" also, that
"the grammar schools be open for girls, six months
in the summer." These votes, at the same meeting,
were reconsidered. It was then voted " to have 1
grammar school," ", near the meeting-house, and that
no girls be allowed to go to it."
In 1776, $250 were allowed for each school in the
four wards. In 1797, two annual schools were established, ( one at the school-house near the meeting-house, the other at the house used as a schoolhouse in the upper road." It was also voted that
there be 4 women schools kept in the four wards,
during the summer season; one in each ward, and
that " the girls go to the two schools that are to
be kept during the year at different hours, as the
Selectmen shall determine." In 1798, the girls were
to be admitted to the schools in the summer season,
and $75 were voted for each of the four wards. The
same year, the "new brick school-house" near the
meeting-house was built, at an expense of $1287.
The committee received for the old house, $88. In
1801, a committee was chosen to lay out a piece of
land near the burying place, to build a school-house
upon, for the inhabitants of the north part of the
town, or Ward 1. The Selectmen were restricted
from laying out any land for said purpose on the " triangular piece," "before the shop of Mr. Joseph Capen." (The store of " J. H. Upham & Brother " is on
one of the sites occupied by Mr. Capen.) The place
selected and built upon, the house being of brick, was
50