History
Nichols Academy was founded by Amasa Nichols, a wealthy Dudley industrialist. Samuel Slater, “the father of cotton manufacture in the United States,” who owned mills in the nearby town of Webster, was an early benefactor.
Textile manufacturer Hezekiah Conant donated three buildings during the 1800s; Academy Hall, Conant Hall and the Chapel. Nichols Academy closed in 1909.