Dame school

A Dame school was an early form of a private elementary school in English-speaking countries. They were usually taught by women and were often located in the home of the teacher.

Britain

Dame schools were first mentioned in literature in the 16th century. They were private schools at the lowest end of the spectrum. The establishments were quite varied—some functioned primarily as day care facilities overseen by illiterate women, while others provided their students with a good foundation in the basics. The inadequacies of dame schools in England were illustrated by a study conducted in 1838 by the Statistical Society of London that found nearly half of all pupils surveyed were only taught spelling, with a negligible number being taught mathematics and grammar. Around 1843, the quoted fee in Middlesex was 5s. a week while the common school (private) would charge 11s. There were also free schools, run mainly by the Church of England, and other fee-paying schools operated commercially. Many children just went to Sunday Schools that were run by every Christian denomination. After the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act in 1802, apprentices were guaranteed daily education for 4 years within the factory, but this did not apply to 'free children' working there.

Dame School

The Dame School is a historic meeting house, school, and now local historical museum, on New Hampshire Route 152 in Nottingham, New Hampshire. The single story wood-frame Greek Revival structure was built in 1840 as a church; according to local legend, timbers from a 1740 church were used in its construction. Its main facade has a simple entrance topped by a transom window, and flanked by a pair of windows. The building is topped by a three-stage tower, whose second stage houses a belfry, and whose spire is topped by a weathervane in the shape of a quill pen. It was used as a meeting house until about 1878, with its dual use as a school beginning c. 1870. It was dedicated for academic use in 1878, after the local Universalist congregation which had been using for services, built its own dedicated building. This building is said to have acquired its distinctive weathervane as a gift in 1870 from schoolmaster Bartholomew Van Dame.

The building was moved closer to the center in 1952, at which time it was mounted on a concrete foundation, and a sympathetic addition was made to increase its capacity. In 1995 a new central elementary school was built, and the addition was converted for use as a police station. This building was again moved to provide parking space for the police, and has been adapted for use as a local history museum and community center.