Misplaced Pages

#401598

72-550: Memorial Hall Museum is a museum dedicated to preserving the history, art, and culture of the Deerfield, Massachusetts region as well as New England generally. Overseen by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA), it opened in 1880. The building that is now Memorial Hall was the first home of Deerfield Academy , built in 1798 and designed by architect Asher Benjamin . It remained

144-399: A bill for £40 in 1666 but a tax on the cow commons to pay it was not imposed until 1669. By that time the bill had risen to over £96, and he was not paid in full until 1674. The drawing of lots took place on May 23, 1670, by which time many rights had been sold to people from outside of Dedham or one of her daughter towns. Before that even happened, Robert Hinsdale 's son Samuel moved into

216-639: A decade later in 2012, the alumnus raised the matter again, this time with the new headmaster Margarita Curtis, who he says "displayed clear moral authority and offered unconditional support from the start." An investigation by the academy's lawyers confirmed the allegations and uncovered more: In late March 2013 the academy published information that two former faculty members had engaged in multiple sexual contacts with students: Peter Hindle (who taught at Deerfield from 1956 to 2000), and Bryce Lambert (who retired in 1990 and died in 2007). The school stripped Hindle's name from an endowed mathematics teaching chair and

288-498: A further democratizing measure, the scholarship students' identities were kept secret. However, the academy's rising reputation also attracted the attention of major donors from around the country, including Nelson Rockefeller and John Gideon Searle , who sent their children to Deerfield. By 1940, Deerfield was charging higher tuition than even St. Paul's and Groton, and as many as 75% of Deerfield students had attended private middle schools. (The latter fact displeased Boyden, and by

360-569: A good many Polish boys and girls" through Deerfield. ) As Deerfield grew more prominent, it moved away from its public-school roots. Academic James McLachlan said that Boyden built "an essentially new and different institution [] on a moribund foundation." In Boyden's early years, Deerfield "w[as] comparatively inexpensive, drew [its] students from a broader social spectrum, and imposed a less Victorian regimen" than Episcopalian church schools like St. Paul's , Groton , and Kent . By 1928, 30 out of Deerfield's 185 students were on scholarship, and as

432-403: A large common room. In 2004 an alumnus revealed to Deerfield's then-headmaster Eric Widmer that he had been sexually abused in the winter of 1983 by faculty member Peter Hindle. Widmer responded sympathetically but did not press for details. A parent had previously raised concerns about Hindle to the academy in the 1980s, and Deerfield had responded with written and verbal warnings. Nearly

504-528: A major village by the same name. After the "Praying Indians" were given 8,000 acres (32 km ) in what is today Natick , the General Court gave the Dedham proprietors 8,000 acres (32 km ) in compensation. The question of how to handle the additional grant puzzled the town for some time. There were those who wanted to sell the rights to the land and take the money, while others wanted to find

576-672: A minimum to allow students to take more courses in the subjects that interest them most. Most courses last the entire year, but some can last for one to two terms. The required course load is five graded courses per term, but students may petition the Academic Dean to take a sixth graded course if desired. There are no Saturday classes, and classes are held from Monday to Friday, typically from 8:30 am to 2:55 pm. On Wednesdays, classes end at 12:45 pm to accommodate athletic events, as well as to provide more time for clubs and community service. Deerfield does not rank students. Academic work

648-554: A months-long trek to Montreal , nearly 300 miles to the north. Many died along the way; others were killed because they could not keep up. In this period, there was an active trade in ransoming captives among both the English and French. Deerfield and other communities collected funds to ransom the captives, and negotiations were conducted between the colonial governments. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony released

720-542: A new wave of Eastern European immigrants, particularly from Poland . The new people influenced Deerfield's demographics and culture. They were mostly Catholic peasants , who built their own churches. Working first as laborers, they formed a community later known as Old Polonia. Twentieth-century immigrants from Poland tended to be more educated but settled in the larger cities. Immigrants in smaller communities followed different paths, and their descendants often moved to cities for more opportunities. Today, heritage tourism

792-407: A place known as Pocomtuck , about 12 or 14 miles from Hadley . It was decided to claim the land before others could do so. Joshua Fisher , Ensign John Euerard, and Jonathan Danforth were assigned by the selectmen to go and map the land in return for 150 acres. Two weeks later he appeared before the board, demanding 300 acres instead. The selectmen agreed, provided that he provide a plot map of

SECTION 10

#1732780385402

864-419: A private secondary preparatory school ; Frontier Regional High School ; Deerfield Elementary ; and two separate private junior boarding schools , Bement School, which is co-ed, and Eaglebrook School , which is a school for boys. For several decades during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Deerfield was the northwesternmost outpost of New England settlement. It occupies a fertile portion of

936-469: A quitclaim deed from them. Pynchon signed a treaty with the Pocumtuck, including a man named Chaulk. But Chaulk had no authority to deed the land to the colonists and appeared to have only a rough idea of what he was signing. Native Americans and the English had different ideas about property and land use; this, along with competition for resources, contributed to conflicts between them. Pynchon submitted

1008-570: A school squash court, and barred him from campus events. A subsequent criminal investigation by the District Attorney's office revealed that at least four teachers—three deceased and one still alive—had engaged in sexual conduct considered "criminal in nature" with students extending back into the 1950s. Their deaths, and the statute of limitations, precluded criminal charges. Deerfield spokesman David Thiel said "I think you saw from us an amount of transparency when this came to light that

1080-597: A school until 1878. The building was designed to contain a museum, making it one of the oldest museums in the United States. In the original collection were geological specimens and "curiosities" that assisted in educating pupils, and it also had memorabilia donated by the descendants of the Reverend John Williams, who had been taken captive to Canada following the 1704 Raid on Deerfield . In 1870, George Sheldon , preservationist and antiquarian who

1152-475: A strong recommendation from Boyden could get a student into Princeton University even if Princeton had already decided to reject him. ) He restored Deerfield's boarding department in 1916, hoping to attract wealthy families whose tuition payments could rescue the school's financial situation. To attract boarders to what was essentially a brand-new school, Boyden hired advertising executive Bruce Barton to pitch Deerfield to prospective parents as "the cradle ... of

1224-409: A suitable location and take possession. The Town sent Anthony Fisher, Jr., Nathaniel Fisher, and Sgt. Fuller to explore an area known as "Chestnut Country" in 1663. They reported back two weeks later that the area was hilly, with few meadows, and was generally unsuitable for their purposes. After a potential location was claimed by others before Dedham could do so, a report was received about land at

1296-600: Is "moving fast in [the] direction" of need-blind admissions . ) Deerfield's financial endowment stands at $ 920 million as of September 2024. In its Internal Revenue Service filings for the 2021–22 school year, Deerfield reported total assets of $ 1.17 billion, net assets of $ 1.07 billion, investment holdings of $ 829.9 million, and cash holdings of $ 33.5 million. Deerfield also reported $ 61.6 million in program service expenses and $ 13.4 million in grants (primarily student financial aid ). Deerfield's endowment has rapidly increased in recent years. From December 2018 to June 2022,

1368-509: Is Deerfield's principal industry and is important to the Pioneer Valley. "Historic Deerfield" has been designated as a National Historic Landmark district, containing eleven house museums and a regional museum and visitors' center. It focuses on decorative arts, early American material culture, and history. Its eleven house museums offer interpretation through the late nineteenth century. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association operates

1440-436: Is graded on a scale where the minimum passing grade is 60 and the median grades are between 85 and 90. A trimester average of 90.0 or above garners Honors distinction, whereas a trimester average of 93.0 or above garners High Honors distinction. The Class of 2023's average combined SAT score was 1382 and its average combined ACT score was 31. Although Deerfield no longer offers Advanced Placement courses except in math and

1512-667: Is in Springfield; a stop in Greenfield is in operation as part of the rerouting of Amtrak's Vermonter route. Deerfield has bus service through Peter Pan Bus Lines ; the nearest small air service is in Gill and Northampton . The nearest national air service is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut . As of the census of 2010, there were 5,125 people, 2,053 households, and 1,350 families residing in

SECTION 20

#1732780385402

1584-501: Is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km ), or 3.17 percent, is water. Deerfield is located in the northern Pioneer Valley and is bordered by Greenfield to the north, Montague to the northeast, Sunderland to the southeast, Whately to the south, Conway to the west, and Shelburne to the northwest. The town center is located 8 miles (13 km) south of Greenfield, 29 miles (47 km) north of Springfield , and 93 miles (150 km) west of Boston . Deerfield's northern point

1656-708: Is led by a board of selectmen . The town has its own police, fire, and public works departments. The fire department and the post office both have two branches, in South Deerfield (where most of the town offices are) and in Old Deerfield Village, near Memorial Hall and the Old Town Hall. The town's Tilton Library is connected to the regional library network and is located in South Deerfield. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center,

1728-556: Is located at the confluence of the Deerfield and Connecticut rivers, with the former flowing through the northwestern corner of the town and the latter forming the eastern border of the town. Several brooks and the Mill River also flow through the town. North Sugarloaf Mountain rises above the Connecticut in the southeastern corner, providing a panoramic view of the valley and the town center. The Pocumtuck Range rises along

1800-753: Is located in Greenfield, as are many regional state offices. Deerfield is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the First Franklin district, which includes the southeastern third of Franklin County and towns in north central Hampshire County. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by the Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes much of eastern Franklin and Hampshire Counties. The town

1872-609: Is open to the public. Deerfield, Massachusetts Deerfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts , United States. Settled near the Connecticut River in the 17th century during the colonial era, the population was 5,090 as of the 2020 census . Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area in western Massachusetts , lying 30 miles (48 km) north of

1944-694: Is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Barracks of Troop B of the Massachusetts State Police . Deerfield is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district and has been represented by Jim McGovern of Worcester . Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren . Deerfield

2016-422: Is the central member of Frontier Regional and Union 38 School Districts , which also includes Conway, Whately, and Sunderland. Each town operates its own elementary school, with Deerfield Elementary School serving the town's students from kindergarten through sixth grades. All four towns send seventh through twelfth grade students to Frontier Regional School in the town. Frontier's athletics teams are nicknamed

2088-546: The Boston Globe , and "an elite private school" by the Associated Press . Deerfield's admission rate was 17% in 2024. In previous years it has been as low as 13%. The academy's 650 students come from 32 states and 42 countries. 17% of students are international, and 44% identify as students of color. In the 2024–25 school year, Deerfield charged boarding students $ 74,440 and day students $ 53,860. 40% of

2160-510: The 1960s the academy boasted that 75% of its incoming students had attended a public school. ) Deerfield also discontinued coeducation in 1948, after educating girls for over 150 years. Boyden retired in 1968. When he died in 1972, the New York Times wrote that he had taken over "a dying village institution and made it a notable preparatory school," and that he was "the best known American headmaster of his times." David M. Pynchon

2232-521: The 22-year-old Frank Boyden as its new headmaster. Its financial position was so precarious that Boyden was the only person willing to apply for the job. Boyden revitalized the academy by transforming it into a private, boys-only college-preparatory boarding school that drew its students not from the surrounding area but the entire country. Boyden gradually rebuilt the academy's enrollment, invested in teacher salaries, and developed strong relationships with college administrators. (According to one story,

Memorial Hall Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue

2304-550: The Connecticut River Valley, and New England more widely, from the ancient past to the present. Its collection includes domestic furnishings, paintings, photographs, quilts and other textiles, musical instruments, tools, and Native American artifacts. Many examples of works from the Arts and Crafts Movement are exhibited. Library and archival holdings number more than 25,000 manuscripts, books, maps, and ephemera. In

2376-650: The Deerfield area. The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College , is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and the nearest state universities are the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Westfield State University . The nearest private colleges are Amherst College , Hampshire College , Mount Holyoke College , and Smith College . Deerfield Academy Deerfield Academy

2448-518: The Frary House. Baker was assisted by the Boston architectural firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge , and her project was one of the first in historic preservation in western Massachusetts. Local historian George Sheldon wrote an account of the town's early history that was published in the late nineteenth century. By this time South Deerfield and other New England villages were already absorbing

2520-540: The French pirate Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste , Canada arranged redemption of numerous Deerfield people, among them the prominent minister John Williams . He wrote a captivity narrative about his experience, which was published in 1707 and became well known. One of those captured and ransomed was Mehuman Kellog, the first white child born in Deerfield and a descendant of Robert Hinsdale . In addition to ransoming captives, because of losses to war and disease, families of

2592-784: The Memorial Hall Museum, which opened in 1880; and the Indian House Memorial Children's Museum and Bloody Brook Tavern. Deerfield is a center of heritage tourism in the Pioneer Valley near the Connecticut River . The Yankee Candle Company is an example of one of many commercial businesses associated with this history. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 33.4 square miles (86.6 km ), of which 32.4 square miles (83.9 km )

2664-517: The Mohawk and other tribes often adopted younger captives into their tribes. Such was the case with Williams's daughter Eunice , who was 8 years old when captured. She became thoroughly assimilated and at age 16 married a Mohawk man. They had a family and she stayed with the Mohawk for the rest of her life. Most of the Deerfield captives eventually returned to New England ; others remained by choice in French and Native communities, such as Kahnawake , for

2736-529: The New England conscience," and popularized "[t]he notion of the Deerfield Boy ... intelligent, but more important[ly], well-rounded, ... plac[ing] a high value on ethics, morals and sportsmanship." By 1923, Deerfield had 140 students, including 80 boarders. A capable fundraiser, Boyden saved Deerfield a second time in 1923, when the town exiled Deerfield from the public school system in favor of

2808-586: The Red Hawks, and the team colors are red and blue. There are many art programs available during and after school at Frontier. Private schools in the town include the Bement School (a coeducational boarding school for grades K–9), the Eaglebrook School (a private boys' boarding school for grades 6–9), and Deerfield Academy , a private school for grades 9–12. There are other private schools in

2880-471: The academy was in deep financial trouble by the end of the 19th century. Industrialization had depopulated large portions of western Massachusetts, depriving the academy of many potential students. From 1880 to 1900, the population of the town of Deerfield nearly halved, falling from 3,543 to 1,969. When headmaster Frank Boyden arrived in 1902, there were only fourteen students left, and the boarding department had already shut down. In 1902, Deerfield hired

2952-487: The age of 18 living with them; 52.4 percent were married couples living together, 9.4 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2 percent were nonfamilies. Individuals made up 26.3 percent of all households. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.83. As of the American Community Survey of 2015, the median income for a household was $ 74,853, and

Memorial Hall Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue

3024-454: The area and began squatting on the land. He was eventually joined by his father and brothers. Hard feelings arose at the distance of the new settlement from Dedham and the fact that the proprietors were not strictly "a Dedham company." On May 7, 1673, the General Court separated the town of Deerfield, with additional lands, provided they establish a church and settle a minister within three years. The Pocumtuck were much reduced in number by

3096-401: The arts, in the 2022–23 school year, students took 680 AP exams (for reference, there were 185 juniors and 162 seniors at Deerfield that year) and passed 93% of them. Source: Deerfield has 15 dormitories: Barton, Bewkes (now a faculty residence), DeNunzio, Field, Harold Smith, John Louis, John Williams, Johnson-Doubleday, Louis-Marx, Mather, McAlister, Pocumtuck, Rosenwald-Shumway, Scaife,

3168-493: The brand-new Frontier Regional School in South Deerfield . When Deerfield was re-privatized, the headmasters of Exeter , Taft , and Andover raised $ 1.5 million from their own alumni to save Deerfield from extinction. They also boosted Deerfield's enrollment by referring students that they had expelled to Boyden, who had reportedly established a reputation for rehabilitating such students. (Boyden may have welcomed

3240-497: The change, because "Deerfield's rising population of immigrant Polish farmers" conflicted with his desire "to maintain the school as a Yankee institution"; he told a colleague that Deerfield needed a boarding department "to help settle the Polish problem." However, Exeter principal Lewis Perry —a personal friend of Boyden's—pushed back against the suggestion that Boyden was uninterested in educating Poles, writing that Boyden had "put

3312-476: The city of Springfield. Deerfield includes the villages of South Deerfield and Old Deerfield, which is home to two museums: Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Historic Deerfield, Inc. Historic Deerfield is designated as a National Historic Landmark district, and the organization operates a museum with a focus on decorative arts, early American material culture, and history. Its eleven house museums offer interpretation of society, history, and culture from

3384-496: The colonial era through the late nineteenth century. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association operates Memorial Hall Museum , which opened in 1880, as well as the Indian House Memorial Children's Museum and Bloody Brook Tavern. The site of early 18th century colonial battles including the Raid on Deerfield , the town is a center of heritage tourism in the Pioneer Valley . Deerfield has numerous schools, including Deerfield Academy ,

3456-623: The command of Captain Thomas Lathrop before being driven off by reinforcements. Colonial casualties numbered about 60. At dawn on May 19, 1676, Captain William Turner led an army of settlers in a surprise retaliatory attack on Peskeompskut, in present-day Montague , then a traditional native gathering place. Turner and his men killed 200 natives, mostly women and children. When the men of the tribe returned, they routed Turner's forces; Turner died after being wounded at Green River. In

3528-534: The eastern side of town north of Sugarloaf. Interstate 91 passes from south to north through the central part of town, crossing the Deerfield River near the river's southernmost bend. The interstate is paralleled by U.S. Route 5 and Massachusetts Route 10 , which run concurrently through the town. Route 116 also passes through town, combining with Routes 5 and 10 for a one-mile stretch, briefly passing into Whately before separating and crossing through

3600-409: The endowment increased by $ 250 million and the academy spent $ 140 million on new buildings and renovations. The current head of school is John Austin, the former head of school at King's Academy . The academy has maintained its strong reputation in the 21st century. It has been described as an "elite boarding school" by the New York Times , "one of the nation's ... most elite boarding schools" by

3672-581: The endowment increased from $ 590 million to $ 791 million. In 2022, Deerfield announced that Televisa vice-chairman Rodolfo Wachsman '53 had left Deerfield $ 80 million in his will; it is the largest donation in the academy's history. Deerfield follows a trimester system, in which the school year is divided into three academic grading periods. Deerfield students take a full liberal arts curriculum, including English, history, foreign language, mathematics, laboratory science, visual and performing arts, and philosophy and religion. However, required courses are kept at

SECTION 50

#1732780385402

3744-504: The land. Fisher's map and report were submitted to the General Court, and they agreed to give the land to Dedham provided that they settle the land and "maintain the ordinances of Christ there" within five years. Daniel Fisher and Eleazer Lusher were sent to purchase the land from the Pocomtuc Indians who lived there. They contracted with John Pynchon, who had a relationship with the native peoples there, and he obtained

3816-481: The late nineteenth century, and this was the first US museum to create a permanent period room . The museum opened to the public in 1880, and the building has been expanded several times. (While in close proximity to the buildings of Historic Deerfield , Memorial Hall Museum is a separate institution.) The museum focuses on the history, art, and culture of Deerfield, the Deerfield River Valley and

3888-438: The median income for a family was $ 83,859. Men who worked full-time year-round had a median income of $ 70,873 versus $ 49,115 for similar females. The per capita income for the town was $ 38,379. Four percent of families and 7.5 percent of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.6 percent of those under age 18 and 7.8 percent of those age 65 or over. Deerfield employs the open town meeting form of government and

3960-626: The museum is the Indian House Door, a remnant of the French and Native American Raid on Deerfield . An old inscription next to the door describes how the “stout door kept at bay the French and Indians,” and its “hatchet hewn face still tells the tale of that fateful night.” A replica of the Indian House, also in Deerfield, is another property owned by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and

4032-555: The newly opened academy was able to attract many students from the surrounding area; of the school's first 269 students, only 68 were from the town of Deerfield. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Deerfield had over 100 students. Early Deerfield graduates occupied many congressional and gubernatorial seats in New England . Deerfield became a semi- public school in 1859, after the Massachusetts legislature ordered

4104-526: The predawn hours of February 29, 1704, during Queen Anne's War , joint French and Indian forces (including 47 Canadiens and 200 Abenaki , along with some Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) , Wyandot , and a few Pocumtuck, all under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville) attacked the town in what became known as the Raid on Deerfield . They razed much of the settlement and killed 56 colonists, including 22 men, 9 women, and 25 children. The attackers took 112 captives, including women and children, and forced them on

4176-542: The recently christened O'Byrne Curtis—named for retiring Head of School Margarita O'Byrne Curtis, and the newly constructed Simmons replacing Dewey. Every dorm is single-sex, and a faculty resident lives on each hall. Juniors and seniors live together in the same dorms, whereas sophomores live in their own dorms. Since 2015, all 100 incoming ninth-graders have been housed together in the Ninth-Grade Village, which consists of two single-sex dormitories connected by

4248-643: The remote town of Deerfield, at the time "the principal [European] settlement on the western frontier." A Mr. John Williams organized a coalition of local grandees, including future U.S. congressmen Ebenezer Mattoon and Samuel Taggart , to raise $ 1,300 to build a school house and another $ 1,400 for an endowment . From the start, Deerfield educated both boys and girls. Like many early "boarding" academies in New England, Deerfield did not have its own dormitories when it opened, and out-of-town students were required to rent rooms from local families. Deerfield did not open its first dormitory for another ten years. Even so,

4320-573: The rest of their lives. As the frontier moved north, Deerfield became another colonial town with an unquiet early history. In 1753 Greenfield was set off and incorporated. During the early nineteenth century, Deerfield's role in Northeast agricultural production declined. It was overtaken by the rapid development of the Midwestern United States as the nation's breadbasket , as transportation to eastern markets and New York City

4392-645: The southern part of town and over the Connecticut River at the Sunderland Bridge . All three routes historically crossed through the center of the village prior to the construction of I-91 but were rerouted to a more direct route, closer to the highway. A portion of the Springfield Terminal freight rail line passes through the town before branching off eastward and westward around Greenfield. The nearest Amtrak passenger service

SECTION 60

#1732780385402

4464-514: The student body was on financial aid, and the average boarding aid grant was $ 60,850 (i.e., 82% of the total cost of attendance). 48 students (7.4% of the student body) were on full scholarships. In September 2024, Deerfield announced that going forward, domestic students with household incomes under $ 150,000 will attend Deerfield for free, and domestic students with household incomes under $ 500,000 will have their tuition capped at 10% of household income. The Wall Street Journal noted that $ 150,000

4536-515: The time the settlers arrived, as they had been victims of infectious diseases and war with the more powerful Mohawk . The settlers forcibly expelled the few Pocumtuck who remained; the Pocumtuck in turn sought French protection in Canada from the English colonists. At the Battle of Bloody Brook , on September 18, 1675, during King Philip's War , the dispossessed Indians destroyed a small force under

4608-478: The town of Deerfield to establish a free public high school. In 1876, the academy was reincorporated as the Deerfield Academy and Dickinson High School , after local resident Esther Dickinson left the town $ 50,000 to build a new academic building (since demolished) and town library. As late as the 1920s, the academy was still relying on tax revenue from the town. Despite the town's financial support,

4680-488: The town. The population density was 158.2 inhabitants per square mile (61.1/km ). There were 2,181 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 95 percent White , 0.8 percent African American , 0.1 percent Native American , 1.9 percent Asian , 0.5 percent from other races , and 1.8 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.6 percent of the population. There were 2,053 households, out of which 26.3 percent had their own children under

4752-547: The upper Connecticut River Valley now known as the Pioneer Valley . It was vulnerable to attack because of its position near the Berkshires highlands. For these reasons it was the site of intertribal warfare and several Anglo-French and Indian skirmishes during its early history. At the time of the English colonists' arrival, the Deerfield area was inhabited by the Algonquian -speaking Pocumtuck nation, who settled

4824-409: Was "almost double the median U.S. household income" at the time. Although this policy does not apply to international students, Deerfield commits to meet 100% of an admitted international student's demonstrated financial need. However, at Deerfield (as with most boarding schools), requesting financial aid may affect an applicant's chances of admission. (In 2024, the head of school stated that Deerfield

4896-579: Was announced. Eric Widmer '57 served as headmaster from 1994 to 2006. He stepped down in June 2006 to found King's Academy in Madaba , Jordan , a school backed by Deerfield alumnus King Abdullah II of Jordan, and partially inspired by the King's years at Deerfield in the 1980s. Deerfield then tapped Andover dean Margarita Curtis as its first female Head of School. During her thirteen years at Deerfield,

4968-406: Was appointed headmaster after Boyden, serving from 1968 to 1979. He was succeeded by Robert Kaufmann, who readmitted girls to Deerfield in 1989 after a 41-year absence. At the time, Deerfield was renowned as "the last of the big New England all-male prep schools" (most of its peer schools began admitting girls in the 1960s and early 1970s), and the all-male student body protested the decision when it

5040-622: Was enhanced by construction of the Erie Canal and later railroads. During the Colonial Revival movement of the late nineteenth century, Deerfield citizens rediscovered the town's past. Residents founded the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in 1870 and erected monuments to commemorate various events, including the Bloody Brook and 1704 attacks. In 1890 Charlotte Alice Baker returned to Deerfield to restore her family home,

5112-458: Was founded in 1797 when Massachusetts governor Samuel Adams granted a charter to found a school "for the promotion of Piety, Religion & Morality, & for the Education of Youth in the liberal Arts & Sciences, & all other useful Learning." Having opened its doors to students in 1799, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. The academy was established in

5184-538: Was interested in historic preservation as early as 1848, founded the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA) and served as its first president. He located and preserved historical papers, books, and artifacts. After Deerfield Academy moved to a new building in 1878, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association took over Memorial Hall and enhanced its collection with items collected by George Sheldon. Three rooms represented life in Colonial America as perceived in

#401598