II. Gorham Academy

This is a photo of the old Gorham Academy building from the Gorham Historical Society. According to the University of Southern Maine website, "The Academy was chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts in 1803. A land grant was made to produce income, providing that the trustees raised $3,000 within a year. The required $3,000 for construction was raised and, on a lot of land given by Thomas McLellan valued at $350, the Academy was built. The building was dedicated on September 8, 1806 and was leased to the State in 1878 for the use of the new normal school for educational purposes. It still is not the property of USM, but belongs to the Gorham Academy Association."

This plaque sits outside the Academy along a stone wall near to the street. I took the picture with my phone (and am pretty impressed with the quality!) When I saw the site, I never thought much of it. Walking past the campus on the way to my dorm room, I'd seen the building without giving it much notice. When I did approach it the other day after work, I stopped to read the sign and then was more intrigued.

I've never seen anyone at the site or reading the sign and so I received more than one odd look from people driving or walking by. The site wasn't the best maintained either. The leaves weren't raked up and there was some litter on the ground.

The Gorham Historical Society lists the history of the academy as starting in 1803 with the incorporation of the Academy. (In 1800 the population is listed as being 2503). The next listing is in 1806 listing that the "Building erected to house Gorham Academy, fall semester of Academy opened September 9. Reverent Reuben Nason Preceptor. Thirty-three students enrolled." The female seminary that was dedicated in 1837 was a part of the Academy until the next year when it seperated. The building was known as many different names at different times. Those names include Gorham Academy, Gorham Male Academy, Gorham Seminary, Gorham Female Seminary and Maine Female Seminary.

The Academy "closed after having practically no enrollment in the previous two years." in 1877. This building is important to Maine History as beginning the cycle of schools in Gorham that would eventually become the University of Southern Maine as we know it now. Without this building first being dedicated in 1803, The school would not have evolved as it has over the past 200 years.