The Quakers, or Society of Friends, was the second religious group to establish themselves in Windham. Their first meetinghouse was at the corner of Swett Road and Route 202, a one-story building no longer there. An addition was built onto this structure, as an Academy or school. At some point, they had a school called the Windham Phonetic School. Mentions of this “famous” school appear in many documents and history books, but to date, a definitive description hasn’t been discovered.

Boston Public Library has a display of maps including one drawn by a pupil at this Windham school. Around 1853, Phebe Ellen Nichols produced her map of Palestine while a student at the Windham Phonetic School, described as “a Quaker boarding school” in Windham. As was the practice at Quaker schools, this map was executed in a plain, utilitarian style and is on display at the Boston Public Library. Copying maps onto paper was a common assignment for both girls and boys attending academies in the 19th century, as students practiced geography and penmanship simultaneously.

John Cartland, of Pope Road (1841-1920), was also a student at this boarding school and had Miss Abby Larry as a teacher. Mary Elizabeth Hawkes, was a daughter of Aaron Hawkes, of Windham. She was also a pupil at the famous Windham Phonetic School. Her father’s people were Quakers but he and his brothers were expelled from the Society for attending muster. Her mother was the daughter of Richard King of Scarborough, whose brother William was the first governor of the state.

Rev. Thomas Hill, of Waltham, Mass., apparently came to Maine, visited schools, and wrote to a colleague, “I have just returned from a visit to the Phonetic School, in Windham, Maine, and very gladly comply with your request to give you some account of what I have seen. Proud as I have been of two or three schools in my own town, I must confess that this school of Dr. Pope’s is the best I have ever seen. The scholars were subjected to a careful examination for about eight hours. They varied in age from four to sixteen years. They read to us from print, manuscript and phonetic long and short-hand. They wrote phonetic short-hand (phonography) upon the blackboard; analyzed and spelled words; performed examples in arithmetic; went through with an excellent recitation in grammar; answered a great variety of questions in physical and political geography; showed us many maps of all the countries in the world drawn from memory alone; and many architectural and other drawings made from their own invention; exhibited neat herbariums of their own construction, containing about two hundred species of plants; and passed a good examination in elementary geology.”

As always, Windham Historical Society welcomes information about the town and its past. Anyone who can provide more information about the Windham Phonetic School can email the Society at info@windhamhistorical.org, or contact Kay Soldier, Historian.