Hebron Academy, founded in 1804, is a small, independent, college preparatory boarding and day school for boys and girls in grades six through postgraduate in Hebron, Maine. History Hebron Academy is one of the nation's oldest endowed preparatory schools: the school was chartered in 1804 and opened its doors in 1805. In 2004, the school observed its 200th anniversary. It is located in Hebron, Maine. Early history Hebron Academy was founded by American Revolutionary War veterans from Massachusetts who received land in the District of Maine as compensation for their military service. They settled the community in the late 18th century, established a church, and then chartered the school in 1804. The early settlers faced many challenges, including making a living in the wilderness, building a community, governing themselves, and educating young people in such a thinly populated settlement. Among the settlers was Deacon William Barrows, who led the effort to establish Hebron Academy and was a member of its Board of Trustees for 33 years, until his death in 1837. Interest in the school stretched well beyond the small settlement of Hebron. Five of the nine original trustees came from surrounding towns including New Gloucester, Paris, Turner, and Minot. The school opened its doors in 1805 to 25 young scholars, boys and girls. Many students rented rooms from Deacon Barrows and area farmers. By 1807, there were 50 students. The first dorm would not be built until 1829. From the beginning, Hebron was an inclusive, welcoming community. Girls learned alongside boys. In the 19th century and early 20th century students arrived from Mongolia, Burma, India, and Bulgaria. The school year in the 19th century was very different from what is typical today, as was the organization of classes. The schedule was often affected by the weather and farming needs. Courses started fresh during the terms to accommodate short-term students who arrived from farms or workshops. There was a college-prep track, and a non-college-prep track (girls were not going on to college). Some students were as young as 10, while others were 30-year-old war veterans. Enrollment varied widely depending on the term. Early subjects included Latin, Greek, French, German, Spanish, and Italian, English, mathematics, geography, history, natural sciences (anatomy, physiology, mineralogy, astronomy, botany, natural philosophy or physics, and chemistry), civil polity, logic, rhetoric, mental philosophy, English grammar, parsing, Webster's dictionary, and English composition. Debating was an important activity for many