Chappaqua Mountain Institute
Encyclopedia
Chappaqua Mountain Institute was a private co-educational college preparatory school
in Chappaqua, New York
founded by the Quakers in 1870. The school closed in 1908 and re-opened in Valhalla, New York
where it eventually became a girls-only boarding school. Highly regarded in its day, it was described in a contemporary travel guide as "a seat of Quaker learning". The Institute's alumni included Mario García Menocal
, who became the third president of Cuba
; copper magnate William Cornell Greene
; and songwriter Irving Caesar
.
education in the area was provided by private academies, a practice which continued until the early 20th century. Although founded and run by a Hicksite Quaker Meeting which had moved to Chappaqua from Purchase, New York
in the 1830s, the school was non-sectarian. Initially, it provided a four-year co-educational program which prepared students for college. Later, an elementary school
was added and manual and commercial subjects were also taught as well as music and art. While most of its students were boarders
, a fair number of children from the town attended as day students.
The Institute's first building, a large three storey structure with a basement and mansard roof
, stood on 40 acres (16.2 ha) of wooded grounds on the lower slope of Chappaqua Mountain facing Quaker Street. It was built mostly of wood, and in the early hours of February 21, 1885 a defective chimney caused a fire which completely destroyed the building. All 50 of the students and staff sleeping there that night got out of the building unharmed, including young Alfred Farragut, the nephew of Admiral David Farragut
, who had a narrow escape. Finding themselves outside in the freezing snow, barefoot and dressed only in their pyjamas, Alfred and two of his friends had gone back to their room to retrieve their clothes, but became trapped there when the staircase caught fire. Eventually the boys used a clothes line to lower themselves from a third storey window.
A new brick, stone and concrete building with an extra storey and two added wings was erected on the site in 1886 and served as the school's home until its closure. Public lectures were also held there, and in the summer of 1894 the school and its grounds served as the home for a conference of the seven North American Quaker Yearly Meetings
with many of the 1200 delegates accommodated in tents on the lawns. In 1906, Mary Nichols Cox became the school's first female principal. She had a PhD. in botany from Cornell University
and was married to the architect and Quaker historian, John Cox Jr. When the school closed in 1908, she became the owner and principal of Grayrock Country Home School in Chappaqua, a co-educational boarding and day school for young children.
A year after its closure, the Chappaqua Mountain Institute reopened in Valhalla, New York
and by 1916 had become a girls-only boarding school. The building and grounds of the former school in Chappaqua were bought by the Children's Aid Society
in 1909 with a large donation from Elizabeth Milbank Anderson
and became a convalescent home for children from New York City. The Elizabeth Milbank Anderson Home closed in 1967, although the Children's Aid Society continued to use the grounds as a summer camp
. The building remained unoccupied for several years and was eventually demolished following a severe fire.
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
in Chappaqua, New York
Chappaqua, New York
Chappaqua is a hamlet and census-designated place in northern Westchester County, New York. As of the 2010 census, following a major revision to the delineation of its boundaries by the Census Bureau, the population was 1,436...
founded by the Quakers in 1870. The school closed in 1908 and re-opened in Valhalla, New York
Valhalla, New York
Valhalla is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place that is located within the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, in Westchester County. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
where it eventually became a girls-only boarding school. Highly regarded in its day, it was described in a contemporary travel guide as "a seat of Quaker learning". The Institute's alumni included Mario García Menocal
Mario García Menocal
Aurelio Mario García Menocal y Deop was President of Cuba, from 1913 to 1921...
, who became the third president of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
; copper magnate William Cornell Greene
William Cornell Greene
William Cornell Greene was an American businessman, who was famous for discovering rich copper reserves in Cananea, Mexico and founded the Greene Consolidated Copper Company in 1899. By 1905, William Greene was one of the wealthiest businessmen in the world.- Early life :Greene was born in Duck...
; and songwriter Irving Caesar
Irving Caesar
Irving Caesar was an American lyricist and theater composer who wrote lyrics for "Swanee," "Sometimes I'm Happy," "Crazy Rhythm," and "Tea for Two," one of the most frequently recorded tunes ever written. He was born and died in New York.Caesar, the son of Morris Keiser, a Romanian Jew, was...
.
History
When the school was established in 1870, all post-eighth gradeEighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
education in the area was provided by private academies, a practice which continued until the early 20th century. Although founded and run by a Hicksite Quaker Meeting which had moved to Chappaqua from Purchase, New York
Purchase, New York
Purchase, New York is a hamlet of the town of Harrison, in Westchester County. Its ZIP code is 10577. Its name is derived from Harrison's purchase, for Harrison could have as much land as he could ride in one day...
in the 1830s, the school was non-sectarian. Initially, it provided a four-year co-educational program which prepared students for college. Later, an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
was added and manual and commercial subjects were also taught as well as music and art. While most of its students were boarders
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, a fair number of children from the town attended as day students.
The Institute's first building, a large three storey structure with a basement and mansard roof
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
, stood on 40 acres (16.2 ha) of wooded grounds on the lower slope of Chappaqua Mountain facing Quaker Street. It was built mostly of wood, and in the early hours of February 21, 1885 a defective chimney caused a fire which completely destroyed the building. All 50 of the students and staff sleeping there that night got out of the building unharmed, including young Alfred Farragut, the nephew of Admiral David Farragut
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
, who had a narrow escape. Finding themselves outside in the freezing snow, barefoot and dressed only in their pyjamas, Alfred and two of his friends had gone back to their room to retrieve their clothes, but became trapped there when the staircase caught fire. Eventually the boys used a clothes line to lower themselves from a third storey window.
A new brick, stone and concrete building with an extra storey and two added wings was erected on the site in 1886 and served as the school's home until its closure. Public lectures were also held there, and in the summer of 1894 the school and its grounds served as the home for a conference of the seven North American Quaker Yearly Meetings
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
with many of the 1200 delegates accommodated in tents on the lawns. In 1906, Mary Nichols Cox became the school's first female principal. She had a PhD. in botany from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and was married to the architect and Quaker historian, John Cox Jr. When the school closed in 1908, she became the owner and principal of Grayrock Country Home School in Chappaqua, a co-educational boarding and day school for young children.
A year after its closure, the Chappaqua Mountain Institute reopened in Valhalla, New York
Valhalla, New York
Valhalla is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place that is located within the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, in Westchester County. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
and by 1916 had become a girls-only boarding school. The building and grounds of the former school in Chappaqua were bought by the Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid Society
__notoc__The Children’s Aid Society is a private charitable organization based in New York City. It serves 150,000 children per year, providing foster care, medical and mental health services, and a wide range of educational, recreational and advocacy services through dozens of community centers,...
in 1909 with a large donation from Elizabeth Milbank Anderson
Elizabeth Milbank Anderson
Elizabeth Milbank Anderson , philanthropist and advocate for public health and women's education, was the daughter of Jeremiah Milbank , a successful commission merchant, manufacturer and investor, and Elizabeth Lake...
and became a convalescent home for children from New York City. The Elizabeth Milbank Anderson Home closed in 1967, although the Children's Aid Society continued to use the grounds as a summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
. The building remained unoccupied for several years and was eventually demolished following a severe fire.
Sources
- Barbour, Hugh (1995). Quaker Crosscurrents: Three Hundred Years of Friends in the New York Yearly Meetings. Syracuse University Press, ISBN 0815626517
- Craig, Warren (1978). Sweet and Lowdown: America's Popular Songwriters. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810810891
- Harrison, Mitchell Charles (1902). Prominent and Progressive Americans: An Encyclopædia of Contemporaneous Biography. New York: New York Tribune
- New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company (1895). Health and pleasure on "America's greatest railroad.". New York: American Bank Note Company
- New York Times ( February 22, 1885). "Driven out by the Fire, The Quaker Schoolhouse at Chappaqua Burned"
- New York Times (August 5, 1894). "Quaker Gray at Chappaqua"
- Sargent, Porter E. (1916). Handbook of American Private Schools. Boston: George H. Ellis Co.
- Tucker, Spencer (2009). "Menocal, Mario García", The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History, Volume 1, pp. 394-395. ABC-CLIO, ISBN 1851099514
- Westchester County Archives. Images of Chappaqua Mountain Institute, 1870-1909
- Williams, Gray (2006). New Castle: Chappaqua and Millwood, Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738539287