Bloomfield Academy
Skowhegan History House
The Canaan Academy was first incorporated by the court of Massachusetts on Feb, 17, 1807. The purpose was to create the town's first high school as a private academy. A board of directors was appointed and among the members were Eli Weston, John Weston, and Solomon Steward of Canaan. They first met in 1812. The first building was built in 1814 and was very plain. It was really an accomplishment to get this school going especially with the war of 1812 going on and money scarce.
In 1817 the name was changed to Bloomfield Academy because the town's name had changed. About this time they received a grant of land and it was located in northern Franklin county. The land was not settled until years after the grant and one resident of Bloomfield had a look at it and said it was unfit for growing crops. The land was soon sold and the money was added to a trust fund.
In 1815 there was a proposal made to the Maine Literary and Theological Institution offering Bloomfield, now Skowhegan, as the site of a new college they intended to build. Academy Trustees offered to turn over the academy building and trust funds if they would locate here. Well, Waterville must have had a better proposal, because they won and Colby was built on College Avenue in Waterville, Maine.
The very first term of the academy was in 1814 and Rev. James T. Hall, a man from Scotland, was the first teacher. He was said to be rough in manner but was a successful teacher of the first class of 13 students. By 1820 there were 77 students. Mr. Hall was said to be one of the best mathematicians in the whole state of Maine!
