there seems to have been a fire in the building, and probably then, or a little later, the old building, with the exception of the western wall, was removed, and the new building, of three stories, with a granite front, which is represented in our next engraving, was substituted for it.

While this building was erecting, the School was kept for a time in an old barn in Cole Lane, now Portland Street (occasionally referred to as the Mill Pond), afterwards in Scollay's Building on Pemberton Hill; until, about 1812, the work was completed, and it returned to the old site and the new stone School-house.*

Of this building Mr. Dillaway sayst:-"The interior had none of the luxurious furnishing of the present day. Its desks and seats were long, thick planks, much too hard for our jack-knives. And yet, plain as everything was, I don't think you could find a school in our city showing more earnest, successful study, or more real schoolboy happiness, than we had in that building when Benjamin A. Gould was Head Master."

Originally the upper story alone was occupied by the Latin School, and the middle story was assigned to what was then known as a "reading-school," but the interest in the School, which for some years previously had been on the wane, gradually increased. In August, 1814, thirty boys were admitted; in the August following, fifty, and, in 1816, sixty were admitted. As none were in the meantime deemed fit to enter College, the number had so increased as to render an additional room and assistant necessary. The readingschool was, therefore, removed, and its room appropriated to the use of the Latin School. As the number of scholars continued to increase yearly, more assistant instructors and additional rooms were provided as occasion required.

* See an article by Geo. S. Hillard, in the Boston Book for 1850, giving reminiscences of this building.

+In his speech at the dinner of the Latin School Association in 1880. In a speech on the like occasion in 1877 he had thus spoken of the surroundings of the School-house :

"The old School-house had none of the conveniences of modern times, and yet I think there was as much hearty work done there and as much enjoyment by the Scholars as in any of the palatial edifices of the present day. The surroundings of the School have changed immensely within fifty years. Allow me to mention some of them. In the square opposite the City Hall there were on the right and left brick buildings for lawyers' offices; then came the Court-house, which was a handsome building, certainly as far superior to the present Court-house as the Parthenon was superior to our School-house. Half a dozen rods behind the Court-house there was a jail. Between the jail

and the Court-house there was a large space which we boys made use of for foot ball and base ball."

It was found expedient likewise to appoint a sub-Master, with a higher salary and more permanent tenure of position than the assistants had. In 1822 the whole School-house was appropriated to this School and in the Catalogue appeared the names of two hundred and twenty-five scholars. About 1844 this building (of which the key presented to the Latin School Association by Mr. Dixwell, and now in the library of the new School-house, is the only visible token remaining) was taken down and Horticultural Hall erected on its site, which again, about 1865, gave place to an extension of the Parker House. Meanwhile a new building intended for the joint use of this School and the English High School, had been erected in Bedford Street, and to it the School was transferred on the 8th of July, 1844.

The boys assembled at 9 o'clock in the morning and simple services of dedication took the place of the usual school exercises.* His Honor Martin Brimmer, the Mayor of the City, presided, and prayer was offered by the Rev. Nehemiah Adams of the Essex Street Church, after which his Honor congratulated the friends. present on the occupancy of the building and remarked that great pains had been taken by the Common Council to provide suitable accommodations for the School. The buildings lately occupied had been deemed unworthy of further use. In the location of the present School-house, retirement, quiet, and central position, had been secured. The construction of this new edifice might well be deemed an evidence of the increasing public interest in the welfare of our common schools.

The recent introduction into these Schools of the study of drawing, an acquaintance with which is frequently useful to business men, was mentioned as another indication of this interest. Mr. Brimmer said he hoped also that the Common Council would ere long supply means for the study of astronomy, for which an observatory had been raised on the present edifice; as he believed this study was eminently calculated to bring into exercise deep religious feelings, leading the young mind to contemplate the works of Deity. Other branches of education, would, doubtless, be provided for in the future as their need was made manifest.

In no other place of the same wealth has so much been done for the cause of common schools as in Boston. Of 19,000 children, 15,000 were educated at the public expense. No pains were spared to

*The account we give is compiled from reports in the Boston Daily Advertiser and Boston Journal of the next day.

render this system of instruction successful. The lot of the youth of our city was most happy: of the many distinguished men who honor our country, few enjoyed in early life the advantages with which our children were furnished. All that was asked in return from the pupils was attention to their studies, industry, application and the maintenance of virtue-which would surely redound to their own credit and the honor of their country. In conclusion, the Mayor said he placed in the charge of the instructors and pupils this edifice. It was a temple dedicated to learning and virtue, to be watched over with care.

Hon. Wm. J. Hubbard, Chairman of the Sub-Committee of the High School, and Geo. S. Hillard, Esq., of the Sub-Committee of the Latin School, then successively addressed the boys and their friends, each speaking principally of the value of the Institution with which he was officially connected.

Mr. Hillard's address reminded the young men in beautiful and powerful language, of the real and intrinsic value of the studies they were pursuing; while he spoke with feeling of the pleasures and interests of his own school-boy recollections, and of the associations which the pupils would always have with these scenes of their earlier education.

Messrs. Dixwell and Sherwin, the Principals, replied to the gentlemen of the City Government in behalf of their Schools, giving assurances that they and their associates, stimulated by the means now provided for them through the munificence of the city, would labor with increased energy. Mr. Dixwell suggested to the alumni of the Latin School, the great value it would be to that institution, and the community, to have a classical library connected with it, together with other similar means and apparatus of classical study which might be provided by its graduates and friends. As a result of these suggestions a meeting of the alumni of the Latin School was held on the same day, at which the Boston Latin School Association was formed.

The building in Bedford Street was three stories in height, of brick, with a granite facade. On each of the two lower stories were two rooms, for either School, on the sides of the building-those for the Latin toward Rowe (now Chauncy) Street; in the upper story, two large halls extended across the building, that for the Latin School occupying the front on Bedford Street. A small room at the side of the hall contained the library of the Association, and beneath it was a similar room on the second floor. Subsequently the number