Women's school and college in Virginia, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fauquier Institute or Fauquier Female Institute was a small private school in Warrenton, Fauquier County, Virginia.[1] It operated from 1860 through the late 1920s. It was a boarding school and a day school, teaching primary, preparatory, and collegiate female students.[2] It advertised "elegant accommodations, excellent advantages, reliable terms."[3]
| Fauquier Institute | |
|---|---|
Fauquier Institute, pre 1908 | |
| Address | |
194 East Lee Street , , United States | |
| Information | |
| Other names | Fauquier Female Institute Fauquier Institute for Girls |
| School type | Private |
| Religious affiliation(s) | None |
| Opened | October 1860 |
| Closed | c. 1929 |
| Principal | J. S. Bacon |
| Principal | George A. Bulter |
| Principal | Nellie V. Butler |
| Grades | 1-12, College |
| Campus size | 10 acres |
| Color(s) | Red and White |
| Affiliation | Association of Colleges and Schools for Girls |
In 1857, a group of investors purchased seven acres with a house in Warrenton, Virginia, from William F. Phipps, to establish a girls' school, the tentatively called the Fauquier Female Seminary.[4] Rather than using the existing brick house, they hired John R. Spilman of Warrenton to build a new, large school house.[4]
Fauquier Female Institute opened in October 1860.[5] It claimed to provide a "quiet, retired, and healtful situation" to educate women in "these agitating times".[1] It was a boarding school and a day school for local students.[6] Its original principals were J. S. Bacon, DD and R. P. Latham, A.M.[5][1] In July 1866, the school property was purchased by Rev. H. H. Wyer of Louisa County, Virginia.[7][8][9] He moved to the Institute and oversaw its operation with Bacon.[7][8]
In August 1868, the school was operated by Wyer and J. B. Budwell, Esq.[6] It was sold to John A. Spilman and Dr. Robert Frazer in 1871.[4] Frazer was in charge of the institute.[4] In 1875, Mr. Averett who had been the institute's principal, left to start a school for boys in Culpepper.[10] Miss A. Taylor of Baltimore, Maryland rented the school in July 1875, with plans to open it in September.[11] In September, a newspaper reported that a Prof. Dowdy from Louden County, Virginia was now in charge of the school.[12]
Frazier became the sole owner of the institute in 1877 and was its principal.[3][4] He left in 1882 to become the president of the Judson Female Institute in Alabama and was, later, president of Longwood College in Virginia.[13][14] (Later, he was president of Longwood College). In August 1882, Rev. Dr. J. A. Chambliss, pastor of the Citadel Square Baptist Church of Charleston, South Carolina became the president of the institute.[15] Rev. Alexander Fleet, previously the pastor of the Broad Run Baptist Church, became the institute's principal in 1886.[16][17][18][4]
In February 1887, the institute was purchased for $10,000 by Prof. Ayres of Marion, Alabama.[19][20] Fleet returned to his prior home in Essex County, Virginia.[18] George A. Bulter, A.M. was the school's principal in 1887; he previously had a private boarding school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.[21][4] Major Robert P. Barry purchase the Fauquier Female Institute for $8,000 in July 1888.[22][4] Barry leased the institute to Butler who operated the school with his wife, Adelaide, and their daughters Nellie and Edith.[23][4] Butler remained principal of the institute until his death on August 7, 1908 at the age of 86 years.[24]
In 1890, the school began opening as a summer resort for private boarding during the summer months.[25][26][27] This was an attempt to balance the institute's budget.[4] The Richmond Dispatch reported that the school had applicants for students from Puerto Rico and other distant locations in 1902.[28] That year, the institute had its highest number of students in its history and had to turn away qualified students due to a lack of space.[29]
Miss Nellie V. Butler became the institute's principal after the death of her father, George Butler, operating it along with her sisters Alice and Edith.[30][31][32][33][4] By 1912, the institute was a member of the Association of Colleges and Schools for Girls.[34] The institute was purchased from Barry by local businessmen Joseph and Herman Ullman in 1915.[35][4] Nellie and Alice Butler retired in 1923.[33] Three teachers stayed and attempted to keep the school open.[4] In 1923, Miss May Strother and Mrs. Katherine D. Carr took over the institute.[36][37][38] In 1926, ads called the school the Fauquier Institute for Girls.[39]
Although sources suggest that the institute closed in either 1923 or 1925, it was advertised for the 65th session in the fall of 1926.[40][39][35][4][2] In addition, the Virginia Division's Committee for Education of the United Daughters of the Confederacy gave a $100 scholarship for a student in the preparatory school or college for the 1927–28, 1928–29, and 1929–30 school years.[41][42][43] Mrs. R. L. Kenner was institute's principal in the spring of 1928 and the director of a summer school at the institute in 1928.[44][45]
After it closed, the institute building was turned into a boarding house and apartments.[46] The Ullman brother sold the property and nine acres to Vincent O. Jacobs in October 1945.[46][35][4]
The campus was located on ten acres in Fauquier County, Virginia (now 139 Culpeper Street in Warrenton).[21][35][47][48] It included a three-story brick building constructed for the school and to board the students.[5][35] The Italiante style building features four central interior chimneys, a hipped roof, and corbelled brickwork, along with gabled pavilions.[4] It was described as "a handsome building surrounded by beautiful grounds".[17]
It was near Fauquier White Sulphur Springs and was fifty miles from Washington, D.C.[1][21] The campus had an elevation of 700 feet and had views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.[49] It was accessible by railroad, being on a branch of Richmond and Danville Railroad.[5][23]
The school included up to 26 boarding students, about 40 day students, and eleven faculty members.[49][50]
The school included primary, preparatory, and collegiate levels.[5] Students learned reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, French, Latin, psychology, and poetry.[4]
When the school first opened, tuition was $25 for the primary school, $30 or $40 for the preparatory school, and $50 for the collegiate school.[5] In addition to the curriculum, students could pay $20 extra for instruction in an ancient or modern language; $50 for, music lessons with harp, guitar, or piano (it was $10 extra for use of the piano); and $20 each for classes in embroidery, drawing or painting.[5] Boarding, including lights and fuel, was $150 per session, with $15 for washing. The school year consisted of one session that started in October and ended in the first week of July.[5] In 1879, tuition and boarding were $200, with classes starting in September.[3] Commencement was held in May.[13]
In 1904, the commencement exercises included a performance of a chorus, a display of calisthenics to music, and a demonstration of the use of dumbbells.[51] In 1907 and 1908, the student demonstrations at graduation included a performance by the violin class, elocution presentations, and demonstrations of tennis, a drill with the Indian clubs by the physical culture class.[52][53]
In 1925, the institute offered secretarial sources in addition to French, music, and outdoor sports.[54]
Students participated in activities such as chorus and theater.[55][51][56] Its music students also gave concerts for the community and the school's patrons.[57] In 1906, its number of boarding students was limited to 26.[49][38] The King’s Daughters of Warrenton established a Good Will Circle at the institute in 1889; it operated there until the school closed.[4][58] The institute also had the Epsilon chapter for Alpha Sigma Alpha from 1905 to 1907.[40][59]
The school's colors were red and white.[51]
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