Oldest School in America is in New England and Almost 400 Years Old

New England is chock-full of history.

We all know the story of Plymouth Rock, when the pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, yadda yadda. No, this is not a history lesson.

But there were many "firsts" in New England before there were "firsts" elsewhere in the United States because of the early colonization in the early 1600s. And that is what interests me.

One of those "firsts" was the first school that was right in Boston.

In April of 1635, the Boston Latin School was officially named the first school in the US, according to the school's website.

They most certainly did not have a Mac computer lab. Instead, the students' education was humanitarian-based. The education concept was centered around the idea that good things are the goods of the soul.

"From its beginning, Boston Latin School has taught its scholars dissent with responsibility and has persistently encouraged such dissent," according to the website.

It was interesting to me that the first school set the precedent for what public schools are today: funded by taxes.

According to the website, the town (or the town's leadership) voted that every schoolmaster would be allowed 50 pounds and a home. Every assistant teacher (or usher, as they were called), was allowed 30 pounds. And the money came from what would be "the state", aka taxes placed on individuals in the state. The public.

Today, archeologists are still looking for the Boston Latin School remains. To do so, they have to dig...deep.

In the early years of the Boston Latin School, teachers were teaching at their homes.  It was not until 1643 that the first school-dedicated building was created.

Ready for some jaw-dropping facts about the school?

The first African American graduate of the school was not until over 200 years later in 1877. That same year, a separate Girl's Latin School was also created.

In 1972 (yes, over 300 years later), the Boston Latin School was finally admitting women for the first time.