Orford Academy

In 1796, Orford’s proprietors voted to create the first private school academy in town. They decided to hire a teacher and set the tuition rate at one shilling per week. Despite their efforts, the proprietors did not acquire the necessary approval of the state Senate and the academy never came to fruition. The potential site for the academy was a building north of the Congregational Church and the proprietors chose to let the town use it for an elementary school instead. The building burned in 1850. That same year, Orford Academy was incorporated and Abitha Britton, Samuel Wilcox, Stedman Willard and Joseph Patterson served as the first officers of the association. The building was constructed at a cost of $6,000 using bricks from the brickyard on the adjacent property. A boy’s dorm was added on the third floor. Daniel Tillotson, John Wheeler and Stedman Willard donated funds to build two boarding houses—only the female dorm was ever constructed.

Activity: Orford’s Schools