Below is a link to my front page article of the New York Times. Not the front page of he New York Section, the actual front page fo the New York Times in 2004.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03EFDC133EF933A05756C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Adams Academy

Nestled in a lovely grove of trees lies one of Westport’s unique treasures— Adams Academy. This one-room seat of learning, a preparatory or high school, was founded in 1837 by Ebenezer Adams and operated until 1867. 

The accomplishments of Ebenezer Adams still reverberate throughout our community today. A local resident, this remarkable young man returned to Westport after graduating from Yale to purchase and privately run an existing school on “Academy Green.” The school had been started by Reverend Davies of the Greens Farms Congregational Church. Ebenezer married the Reverend’s daughter and built their home on the corner of North Avenue and Long Lots Road (later made famous by Martha Stewart).

Children were publicly educated only to the fourth grade level, after which parents had to pay for private schooling. Well known as a teacher with high standards of excellence, Mr. Adams attracted students from all over Connecticut and states beyond. One local student, E.T. Bedford, became a wealthy financier, founded the Karo Sugar Company and was also a great philanthropist giving us the Westport Library, the YMCA and funds for public schools. Another student, William Marcey, became the Secretary of State under President Franklin Pierce.

Mr. Adams had an encyclopedic mind, single-handedly teaching many varied subjects including languages, sciences, mathematics and navigation (during the age of sea captains) to students of different ages and levels— all in one classroom. In the 30 years of the Academy’s operation, his 637 students were all admitted to universities, many to Yale.

This small beacon of enlightenment, which once served as the headquarters of the Historical Society, is now owned by the Town of Westport. The classroom museum is open for the Jennings Trail school tours in the spring and is also rented out to various organizations to help pay for its upkeep.