Bristol Academy

This section highlights objects from the Old Colony History Museum collection connected to Bristol Academy. Founded in 1796 in Taunton, the Academy began as a wooden schoolhouse serving about 100 young men and women under its first principal, Simeon Doggett. After decades of growth, a new brick schoolhouse was built at 66 Church Green, designed by renowned architect Richard Upjohn, in 1852. After the Academy closed in 1926, the Old Colony Historical Society purchased the building, preserving it as a cornerstone of Taunton’s historical and architectural heritage. Today, the building is recognized as part of the Church Green National Historic District.