Misses Martins’ School For Young Ladies
William Martin, a London businessman, purchased this house from Jeremiah Powell in 1788.
In 1790, his English-educated daughter Penelope transformed the home into a private school for girls. With her sisters Eliza and Catherine, Penelope ran the Misses Martins’ School for Young Ladies until 1804, when the family relocated to Portland. The Martins’ School was one of the first schools in Maine to offer a thorough curriculum and higher education to women.
Other private schools were held in old homes, including the schools at Top Knot farm on Middle Road, which was managed by William Buxton and his wife Maria. At the first Cumberland town meeting in 1821, $550 was set aside to support the town schools. Each schoolhouse was assigned one teacher, who was expected to teach a class of students that varied wildly in both age and educational needs.
Misses Martins' School For Young Ladies
