On Jan. 16, 1790, Articles of Agreement were signed by six town residents living in the Belknap/Manton area, and one North Providence resident. They agreed to build a schoolhouse for their children, located between the dwelling house of Jeremiah Manton and the Baptist Meeting House of Elder Samuel Winsor. The building would be 24 feet long and 20 feet wide with a chimney at one end. On one side of the chimney would be an entry and door, with a closet on the other side. The subscribers agreed “to plank, Clapboard, Window, plaister [sic] and completely furnish said school.” They each signed on to completely finish a part of the school.

Each subscriber was entitled to send as many children to the school as was “his equal Proportion according to his right.” They also had to “pay the Master that shall be hired to teach therein in the same proportion.” Only 24 “schollars” could be taught at one time.

The seven subscribers or proprietors and their rights or shares were Jeremiah Manton, four rights; Abraham Belknap, four rights; William Mathewson, three rights; Jonathan Pratt, three rights; William Bushee, one right; Valentine Sweet, two rights; and Seth Tripp, two rights.

It looks like the school house was built as described because it is mentioned in a town deed dated February 24, 1792. It is later pictured in an 1893 newspaper drawing where it seems to be as described in the 1790 Articles of Agreement. With the February, 1792 deed John Brenan of North Providence sold to John Tripp, also of North Providence, a 1/12 part of a school in Johnston that was owned by Col. Daniel Manton and others, as tenants in common. As can be seen, some subscribers had already been added.

The school building served the area first as a subscribers’ school and later as the District No. 8 school for the town. It was used from the early 1790s until 1893 when it was abandoned and a new school built on the site.

Without a doubt, the original Belknap school, the subscribers’ school, was the first in Johnston. Reference has been found to no school that predates this one. These original subscribers saw the advantage of education for their children and, through their efforts, made sure that the school was built and operating. The Bell District, further west along Greenville Avenue, had a subscribers’ school built around 1807 and a couple of schools were added in town before the late 1820s. Not until that time did the town as a whole have free public schooling for all. The little Belknap school, though, led the way and was used for over 100 years to teach children of the area.

The Johnston Historical Society and Museum, which contributes the History Column, is located at 101 Putnam Pike and meets on the last Wednesday each month, which is open to the public. Membership is $20 per year for a single membership and $30 for a family membership. For more information about the society, visit www.johnstonhistorical.org.