Lincoln Academy History
Lincoln Academy was chartered in 1801 by the General Court of Massachusetts ‘for the purpose of promoting Piety, Religion and Morality.’ 178 citizens from Boothbay, Bristol, Edgecomb, Georgetown, Newcastle, New Milford (Alna), Thomaston, Wiscasset, and Nobleboro signed the original petition and then contributed over $3,000 to found the school. Lincoln Academy is the fourth oldest secondary school in Maine that is still in existence today.
The Academy opened in October 1805 in a wooden building on the River Road. 74 students attended that year. The tuition ($257.60 per year) was paid by students’ families.
The residence of Lincoln Academy founder, the Reverend Kiah Bayley, on River Road
In 1828, the first building burned and a new structure was built on Academy Hill. This building, with the bell tower, still serves as the central building of the school.
From 1805 until 1903 LA served as a ‘fitting school for Bowdoin College.’ In 1903 the Maine Legislature passed a law which mandated secondary education be funded by the towns. Many adults enrolled at LA to receive their ‘free high school education,’ resulting in a dramatic increase in enrollment and a dramatic change in the nature of the student body. By 1906, the student body had been limited to those preparing for college, Bowdoin College in particular, and an entrance exam was required for admission.
The Lincoln Academy Main Building in 1890
Entrance exams were discontinued in the 1930’s, and LA became, in effect, the public high school for the towns in the area. Enrollment doubled during the 1950’s and 60’s, and increased again when Bristol High School closed in 1969.
As private, chartered schools became fewer, the State passed legislation controlling the amount of tuition that can be charged to the sending towns, using, a formula based on average costs for secondary education in the State, with a 10% additional charge for facilities maintenance and debt service. (There is no State money for major renovations or new buildings.)
In the 1970’s, differentiated diplomas were eliminated and the minimum course load and graduation course requirements were increased. The Academy joined the Regional Vocational Program at Bath, and later the Rockland Vocational Center.
Throughout its history, Lincoln Academy has made significant physical changes to the facility to serve the increasing student population and significant programmatic changes to keep up with advances in education and the changing needs of its students.
Lincoln Academy is still a private school which serves as the secondary school of choice for young people in surrounding towns. Because of its not-for-profit status, the school is able to accept private contributions to augment the operations budget, finance capital projects, and build an endowment.
From its very beginnings and throughout its history, public support of Lincoln Academy has enabled the school to remain competitive and excel in many areas, providing a quality education at a reasonable cost.
Contact:
burroughs@lincolnacademy.org
Jeff Burroughs started his work at Lincoln Academy in July 2019 as our 44th Head of School. Jeff was the Assistant Headmaster for Academics at St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont, a ninth-grade through postgraduate town academy of 970 students which shares the town academy structural and funding model with Lincoln Academy.  An engineer by training, Mr. Burroughs worked for seven years as an IBM program manager before beginning his tenure at St. Johnsbury Academy. Preceding IBM, he spent a number of years at the Hyde School in Bath, where Mr. Burroughs had a number of roles, including math teacher, Director of Admission, and Assistant Headmaster. Jeff lives in Newcastle with his wife, Melissa, also an educator. The couple has three children: Jeb, 30, is an independent film editor living in NYC,  Andrew, 28, is a copywriter in advertising also living in NYC; and Eliza, 26, works in executive recruiting and lives in London.
duffy@lincolnacademy.org
Kelley Borg Duffy became a social studies teacher in part because it was the only discipline where she felt she could integrate all her academic loves: science, literature, data and history. A native Vermonter and daughter of educators, Kelley went to boarding school in Massachusetts and college in Pennsylvania. After college, she went on to teach in Philadelphia PA, Albuquerque NM, Switzerland, and Venezuela. She met her husband while taking a Wilderness EMT class in Maine, and found herself drawn back to New England. Before joining Lincoln Academy's social studies department, Kelley taught at Wiscasset High School. She and her husband are raising two daughters, two dogs, and a cat, and she spends most of her free time hiking, paddling, camping, and gardening - while always looking for opportunities to travel.
Academic Affiliations:
B.A. Political Science, Swarthmore College
M.A. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine
National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT)
crosby@lincolnacademy.org
Raised in Belfast, Maine, Maya is a passionate educator with degrees in Microbiology and Journalism from the University of Rochester. She pursued a graduate degree in Marine Science from the University of Maine and hopes to engage in further research in learning sciences. Sprinkled in between, she has been a cook, biotechnologist, editor, shellfish biologist and instructional designer. Her diverse education and experiences reflects her multifaceted interests, blending the realms of biology, journalism, and human cognition. As the Director of Applied Learning at Lincoln Academy, she bridges theory and real-world applications, fostering authentic learning experiences and creativity among faculty and students. Outside of school, she explores nature, travels and enjoys culinary experiments. Maya strives to embody a cephalopod-like spirit of curiosity and resourcefulness, and hopes to leave a lasting impact on her students and community.
jonason@lincolnacademy.org
Trish joined the LA team in 2023, starting in Residential Life before earning a seat on the Admin team in 2025. When she isn't wrangling schedules and spreadsheets, you’ll find her traveling, reading, baking, or tracking every strategic pit stop during a Formula 1 race. A proud dual US-German citizen, she seizes every excuse to fly back to Europe for family and real bread. Trish lives in Bristol with her husband and their two children, Oliver ('27) and Edith ('32). You can also spot her having a laugh with friends and bringing music to the area as a founding member of the Shucktown Community Band.
pierpan@lincolnacademy.org
Deanna Pierpan grew up in Massachusetts and spent a lot of time visiting her husband's parents and her grandparents and cousins all over Maine. It was a natural progression and long time goal of moving to Midcoast Maine with her husband and children that was realized in 2018. Deanna spent much of her professional career managing software development projects for various consulting firms and asset management companies in New England and Europe, but more recently has been an office manager in real estate and healthcare. Combining these experiences with a desire to engage with her community, led her to being a part of the Lincoln Academy community as Mr. Burrough's assistant. Her son, Harrison is in the class of 2023 and her sons, Hamilton and Anderson are in the class of 2026.
