Brigham Academy was built in 1879, with funding provided by Peter Bent Brigham, who left a $30,000 endowment for education, and his sister Sarah Brigham Jacobs who provided land and a $100,000 endowment for the academy. It was staffed by Jacob Spaulding, Rev. Dr. Wright from Bakersfield and of Oberlin College, and President Buckham of the University of Vermont. In 1900, an addition provided additional classroom, laboratories, and a gymnasium. Notable people who attended the academy include Warren Austin, the first U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a U.S. senator and members of the Austin family of Highgate. In 1967, it closed as a high school. It continued to offer elementary and middle school education until 1987.