Essex Historical Society   

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HILLS ACADEMY

Hill's Academy was established as a corporation in 1833 to educate young persons beyond the 3 or 4 years of primary schooling that was the norm at the time. It was a private institution and a school building (HILLS ACADEMY) was constructed in 1832. This was operated by a Board of Trustees (priimarily prominent local business persons) until 1848, when control was passed to an individual, Lucious Lyon. It was at this time that the adjacent Essex Seminary was built to accommodate boarding students. This structure later became a hotel and finally was renovated as Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in 1926. The school operated under this proprietorship mode until the early 1870s when it was closed.

Subsequently, it served as sort of an "overflow" for the Essex school system and was finally sold to the town shortly after the turn of the 20th century.

It was leased by the Town of Essex to the International Order of Redmen for many years and came to be locally known as "Redmen's Hall". In 1954 it was sold to the recently formed Essex Historical Society and has remained a meeting hall and museum for that organization ever since.

The Essex Historical Society has recently undertaken a major renovation of this Hill's Academy building. This, of course, is in line with the society's stated mission of preservation. A building approaching 200 years of age usua1ly requires a constant state of maintenance.

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