THE people of Dedham look back with pride upon more than 250 years of public school history. Their rich inheritance from the past is at least an inspiration to the building up and strengthening of the system existing to-day. It was on January 1, 1644-5, that the inhabitants of the Town, "takeing into Consideration the great necesitie of prouiding some meanes for the Education of the youth in o' sd Towne did with an Vnanimous consent declare by voate their willingnes to promote that worke promising to put too their hands to provide maintenance for a Free Schoole in our said Towne." The school established in accordance with this vote had its home near the Church, partly on the site of the present Unitarian Vestry; and the building served the purposes of the children until the year 1717. A little before this the people began to build at longer distances from the meeting-house, and the growth of little settlements here and there gave rise to a demand for other school buildings. What are now known as the Fisher, Endicott, Dexter, Colburn and Burgess followed in due time.

On January 29, 1784, the first movement was made toward establishing a school at East Dedham. The following petition. and vote form a part of the record of the town meeting of May 27, 1784:

Whereas We your Humble Petitioners which have not an Equal Privilege to Sending to School that other Parts of the Town have by reason of being so great a distance & the present Schools so full

we find but Little Benefit of our Proportion of School Money which has movd we the Subscribers to Request this favour of the Town to Be Set off from the School we now Belong and to Draw our Proportion of School money and to dispose of it to the Use and Benefit of Schooling as the Petitioners see fit.

DEDHAM, Jan's 29th 1784

Signed by

Israel Fairbank Wm Paul Jonathan Daman Joseph Swan Samuel Daman Thomas How Thomas How Jr Wm Whiting Israel Fairbank J' Stephen Whiting Solomon Whiting Joseph Whiting Moses Whiting Aaron Whiting Abner Whiting Paul Lewis Paul Whiting Joseph Whiting Jr Eben' Paul Lem' Badlam William Badlam.

The Town Voted to Grant the foregoing Request, and that the Petitioners be allowed to draw their proportion of School Money, and to use it according to the Prayer thereof.

This school did not receive its present name until 1867, when in accordance with a report made by Mr. Erastus Worthington, the School Committee named all the schools in town. This school was named in memory of an early benefactor of the public schools of Dedham, Dr. William Avery. The following minutes from the town records relate to his gift made in 1680.

28: 4: 80:

Doc. Will Auery doth tender money Sixty pounds for the incoragment of the latine Schoole in this Towne prouided thier be such incoragmt to a schoole as may be sutable of the Townes part and to that end to treet with him refering to his conditions we chose Capt Dan ffisher and En Tho ffuller." (V., 93.)

3 10 mo 1680

Capt Dan ffisher make a return of the trust comitted to him selfe and En Tho ffuller of a some of money of sixty pounds giuen to the Towne and the Improument for the benefit of a Latin Schoole.

The returne is as foloweth be it thereby declared that I Will Auery Phisision now resedent in Boston: some times of the Church of Dedham do out of my Intire loue to the Church and Towne : thier frely giue the full some of sixty pound in money thier of to be Holy for the incouragmt of a latin Schoole as shall be from time to time so ordered by the elders or elder of that church and select men for the