The Mount Pleasant Classical Institution opened in 1827 as a school for boys aged 4 through 16. It closed five years later in 1832. The original prospectus was issued by the school's founders, Chauncey Colton and Francis Fellowes, members of the Amherst College Class of 1826, both of whom served as principals. Henry Ward Beecher, Amherst College Class of 1834, is perhaps the most famous graduate.

The school and its program are described in detail in the History of the Town of Amherst compiled by Carpenter and Morehouse (pp. 271-273). A photocopy of this description is included in the General File for this collection (Folder 1).