Ledger This ledger, dated between May 1847 to June 1853, is the official written record of the commencement of the public school system for the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts. With the opening entry listed below, the first School Committee was formally established:
Lawrence May 3, 1847
"James T. Herrick, William D. Lamb, and Dan Weed, having been elected as the School Committee of the Town of Lawrence, and having been duly notified thereof by the Town clerk of said Town, met for the purpose of organization on Monday evening, May 3rd at 7 o’clock. James D. Herrick was appointed Chairman, and Dan Weed Secretary. After an interchange of opinions on the subject of teaching, it was voted that the School Committee recommend to the town the establishment of six schools within the precincts of the Town of Lawrence. Voted to recommend the removal of the Tower Hill School House, to some point east of its present situation. Voted that the schools be kept in session for the space of ten months during the year. Voted that the school be allowed a vacation in August, another at Thanksgiving, and at such other times as should be hereafter deemed expedient. Voted to adjourn. Dan Weed, Secretary"
This ledger, through the recording of the minutes kept for the meetings of the School Committee, chronicles the first six years of the Lawrence, Massachusetts school system. As the above entry describes, the committee was tasked with establishing six schools for the ever growing population of the then Town of Lawrence. Rules of admission were established for Primary, Grammar and Middle schools and school site locations were determined. Theses sites were determined based on population centers as well as geographic considerations. Two Middle schools were to be erected, one in the vicinity of the Congregational Vestry and the other On Hampshire Street. Four Primary schools were to be erected in the vicinity of Ems Street, near Grace Church, Prospect Street and an undetermined location "someplace west of the turnpike".