Montpelier Academy, St. Helena and Livingston Parishes, Louisiana
File submitted by Mrs. Inez Bridges Tate and prepared by D.N. Pardue
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Copyright. All rights reserved.
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From publication "Old Montpelier, 1804, New Montpelier, 1904"
compiled by Inez B. Tate and published by St. Helena Historical
Association, 1993. Reprinted with permission.
In his message to the Legislature in 1832, Governor A.B.
Roman declared that the educational policy of the State had been
a failure, and recommended that some other plan be devised. As
a result of this declaration, a system was inaugurated, later
called the "subsidy" system, which provided that future appropri-
ations for educational purposes should be made only to schools
established by legislative authority, and not to the parishes as
had been the previous practice.
Montpelier Academy, the first such institution, organized
under this new plan, was incorporated in 1833. Being an experi-
ment, the Legislature tried to provide for everything connected
with the operation of a school. A board of trustees was appoint-
ed, whose business it was to select teachers and manage the af-
fairs of the school; the school was to be located within one mile
of the parish courthouse; an annual appropriation of $2,500 was
granted for a period of five years, conditioned on the instruc-
tion of indigent children, which fact had to be certified by the
parish judge; indigent children were to be received on the recom-
mendation of the police jury, to which body applications had to
be made, appropriations were to cease if the number of indigent
children cared to fell below twenty-five during any six-month
period; appropriations for primary schools in the parishes of St.
Helena and Livingston were to be turned over to the trustees of
the Academy for the purpose of educating children from those par-
ishes; a house large enough to accomodate forty pupils was to be
erected before any appropriations could be received; the board
of trustees was authorized to select a boardinghouse steward and
define his duties, and a public examination of all children was
to be held semiannually.
Between the date of its incorporation and the discontinuance
of the plan, the Legislature passed several acts relative to the
school and its management. In 1834 provision was made for the
appointment of additional trustees, and in 1835 an appropriation
of $1,000 was made for its relief. The time for the performance
of the functions of the Academy was extended for four years in
1836, and authority for the payment of appropriations which had
been withheld while certain lawsuits involving the Academy were
pending was given in 1841.
Records show very little of the operation of this school.
In 1838 the board of trustees advertised for a principal and at
the same time announced that board was $10 per month and tuition
$2.50 for three months. Its support came from tuition charges
and from appropriations made by the State for the care of indi-
gent children. Records show that during the period from 1833 to
1842 this academy received $19,500 from the State. With such
assistance, one wonders why it did not become a permanent insti-
tution.
LOUISIANA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY Vol. 30 1947 "The Academy Move-
ment in Louisiana" by James William Mobley paged 903-908
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A few very interesting articles are included relating to
the Academy. These are copies of documents located at LSU
Archives. The spelling is the same as listed in the documents.
Montpelier is spelled several ways.
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Mont Pellier, 5th Oct, 1833
Sir,
By a resolution of the Board of the Montpellier Academy
this day ----, the undersigned are charged with the gratifying
duty of informing you that you have been unanimously elected
Principal Teacher in the Institution. Your propositions have
all been acceded to except the charge of Twenty five dollars for
the instruction of each pupil exceeding twenty five in number.
The Board of Trustees having established Twenty Dollars as the
price of Tuition per annum will give --- for each student taught
exceeding twenty-five. The Board of Trustees as well as the
undersigned flatter themselves with the hope that you will ac-
cede to this and take charge of the Institution. The school
will open on the first Monday in November next, when your ser-
vices will be required.
Your Obt. Servant
James M. Bradford
Mr. Thomas W. Dyer
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The State of Louisiana
Parish of St. Helena
The Treasurer of the State of Louisiana will please pay unto
the order of Dempsey Kemp, Treasurer of the Montpiller Academy,
the sum of six hundred twenty five dollars, that being the first
quarterly --- the first yearly appropriation in accordance with
--- of incorporation of said Academy, approved March 30, 1833.
January 14, 1834 (copy)
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The State of Louisiana
Parish of St. Helena
We the undersigned Trusteed of the Montpellier Academy do
certify that we have procured and put in repair two buildings
for the use and purpose of said Academy - the one as a boarding
house - the other purposely for said Academy - which houses are
convenient and sufficiently large to accomodate one hundred scho-
lars, and that the title of said buildings together with the
grounds on which they are situated are --- in full property in
the Trustees of said Academy. (copy) No date or signature
_______________________
The State of Louisiana
Parish of St. Helena
I Samuel Leonard Parish Judge of the above Parish do certify
that there is now at the Montpellier Academy twenty-five indigent
children, who are now receiving the benefit and advantage of said
institution and have been received on application made by the
Police Jury - In faith whereof I have hereunto put my hand and
affixed the seal of the Parish Court this --- day of January in
the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four.
_______________________
May 24, 1833
To the President of the Board of Trustees of Mt. Pellier --
I propose with reference to a resolution of this Board at her
last session to take the superintendence of the Indigent Children.
Upon the plan therein suggested conforming allway to the bills
of fare suggested by this Board binding myself to administer good
moral government over them as I may be directed by the Board and
that said Board pay me fifty dollars per annum for each child
actually boarded. I offer Z. Nettle for security.
R. Mercer
I will furnish the furniture and whatever is required by this
Board without increase of price.
R. Mercer
_________________________
The State of Louisiana
Parish of St. Helena
The Treasurer of the State of Louisiana will please pay to
Jacob Smith Treasurer of the Montpelier Academy Parish of St.
Helena or bearer the Sum of One Thousand Dollars appropriated by
the Legislagure of the State at its last Session of date March
the 12th 1835 for the relief of Said Academy.
Attest: Burlin Childress Secretary
Given under my hand
April 20th 1835
Thomas Kennedy
Prsdt. Board
M.P.A.
____________________________
Montpellier, August 4th 1835
The Treasurer of the Montpellier Academy will pay to David
D. Hunter or bearer the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars it
being for his Third Quarter Salary ending on the date above.
Given under my hand this 22 day of August A.D. 1835.
Thomas Kennedy
Presd. of the Board of
Trustees MA
Attest: Burlin Childress, Secry.
_______________________________
The information relating to the repairs of the Court House
to be used as the Academy is included under "Courthouse".