Mount Vernon Books

Jacob Abbott founded the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in 1829. He left this position in 1833 to become a pastor in Roxbury. He wrote a number of books in the 1830's and 1840's that were designed to be used in the classroom. These included both readers and books about arithmetic. The other Mount Vernon book which was written in 1832 was only for private circulation.

All six of these books are quite scarce. The Senior and Junior Class Readers are especially uncommon. 

The Mount Vernon books:

1. Description of the Mount Vernon School

1832 Peirce and Parker. This little 72 page monograph was distributed in a very limited quantity. In 1833 the text of this book was copied almost verbatim becoming Chapter VI in the "Teacher". There is no evidence that this book was ever reprinted after 1832. (These pictures are courtesy of the University of California)

2. Readers
Three different "Readers" were published. The Reader designed for middle classes was the first published in 1835. Later The Junior Reader was printed in 1838. The Senior Reader's first edition was introduced in 1840. There are multiple reprints of each of these titles.

(Many of the pictures below of title pages and covers are taken from various websites. All the covers I have seen are identical except for the color and the imprint.)


1. Mount Vernon Reader- Designed for Junior Classes
The first edition was published by T. H. Carter. Later editions are noted below.

1838 T. H. Carter 18mo
1838 Otis, Broaders and Co.
1839 Otis, Broaders and Co.
1840 William Crosby 18 mo.
1842 William Crosby
1843 B. B. Mussey

Later editions were done by the Collins firms.

Collins, Brother and Company 1843-1847
Collins and Brother 1848-1849
Robert B. Collins 1850-1857
Collins and Brother 1857-

2. Mount Vernon Reader- Designed for Middle Classes
This is by far the most common of the three readers. As is noted below it was reprinted a number of times after the first edition in 1835. Although I believe the John Allen book was the earliest of the three 1835 editions, I am not positive.

1835 John Allen and Co. 18 mo.
1835 Van Nostrand and Dwight
1835 B. and S. Collins

1838-1839 Otis, Broaders and Company

1836-1843 Collins, Keese and Co.
This publisher did yearly editions.

1840 William Crosby 18 mo

1843 T. H. Carter and Co.

B. B. Mussey 1843 (earlier 18 mo. edition and later 12 mo edition)

Later editions were done by the Collins firms.

Collins, Brother and Company 1843-1847
Collins and Brother 1848-1849
Robert B. Collins 1850-1857
Collins and Brother 1857-


3. Mount Vernon Reader- Designed for Senior Classes
This book is quite uncommon. The earliest edition that I am aware of is the 1840 William Crosby published book.

Wiliam Crosby, Boston 1840 12 mo.
B. B. Mussey 1843

Later editions were done by the Collins firms.

Collins, Brother and Company 1843-1847
Collins and Brother 1848-1849
Robert B. Collins 1850-1857
Collins and Brother 1857-

3. Arithmetic

Two Mount Vernon Arithmetic books were written by Jacob and his brother, Charles E. Abbott. The first book is a basic simple arithmetic rule book. Volume 2 deals with fractions. Vulgar fractions also known as Common fractions (an integer numerator and a non-zero integer denominator). Decimal fractions is when the denominator is a power of ten.

Mount Vernon Arithmetic
Volume 1. Elementary (Copyright 1845)
Volume 2. Vulgar and Decimal Fractions (Copyright 1846)

First editions:
Part I 1846 Saxton and Miles, New York //Saxton and Kelt, Boston // James M . Campbell, Philadelphia

Part II 1847 Saxton and Miles, New York //Saxton and Kelt, Boston // James M . Campbell, Philadelphia

1847 Parts I and II Collins and Brother

Later editions were done by the Collins' firms.

Collins, Brother and Company 1843-1847
Collins and Brother 1848-1849
Robert B. Collins 1850-1857
Collins and Brother 1857-