HEBRON – Hebron Academy’s sixth-grade history class started off the year by researching the Third Academy Building, which was the third building built on its campus in 1847 and subsequently razed in 1891.

“The purpose of this unit was for students to do historical research on something that had some relevance to them,” said Steve Middleton, Hebron Academy Middle School history teacher.

On the lawn in front of the Treat Science Center on campus lies a granite step – the only remnant of the building. Students are using their common sense and skills as well as research from the book, “History of Hebron Academy” by Harold E. Hall, and old pictures from the school’s archives to learn about the building and make logical inferences.

The students recreated a scaled-down version of the building, first on paper, including the footprint of the first and second floors, the location of the stairs, fireplaces, office, classrooms and even the desks and chairs.

The students then painted a white outline of their findings to scale on the actual site of the Third Academy Building for the school’s Homecoming Weekend celebration, which was Oct. 6 and 7.

After painting the layout, student Sydney Randall said, “I can’t believe how small it turned out to be. How could all the students could fit in there?” There is an engraving on the granite step that reads, “Cara illius temporis studentibus”: Dear (the building) to the students of that time.

For more information, interested families should check the Middle School section of the Hebron Academy Web site at www.hebronacademy.org.

Hebron Academy was founded in 1804 and is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school that serves grades six through postgraduate. For more information, visit www.hebronacademy.org or call 207-966-2100.


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