Peekskill Military Academy
Encyclopedia
Peekskill Military Academy was founded as 'Peekskill Academy'. It was a military academy
for young men and women, founded in 1833, located in Peekskill, New York
, United States
. The academy was built by a hanging tree
and when a building was built near the great tree (1833), one of the British who was captured and summarily hanged, Daniel Strang’s bones were found buried nearby. In 1841 the academy decided to only admit boys. By 1857 it was known as Peekskill Military Academy. The school song was titled "The Big House on the Hill". The School Motto was 'Stand Firm As An Oak Quit You Like Men' The academy closed in June 1968. The reason identified was a decline in enrollment and lack of endowment. A former faculty member, Roland R. Robinson, founded Eastern Military Academy
. The Academy buildings were razed to make room for a new Peekskill High School
building. The Ford Administration Building
is the last significant structure remaining from the academy and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2006.
During the 1960s, the New York Jets
football team used the Academy and its playing field as a summer training camp. Joe Namath
was a Jets team member at the time. The team was called the New York Titans till 1963.
Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
for young men and women, founded in 1833, located in Peekskill, New York
Peekskill, New York
Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The academy was built by a hanging tree
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
and when a building was built near the great tree (1833), one of the British who was captured and summarily hanged, Daniel Strang’s bones were found buried nearby. In 1841 the academy decided to only admit boys. By 1857 it was known as Peekskill Military Academy. The school song was titled "The Big House on the Hill". The School Motto was 'Stand Firm As An Oak Quit You Like Men' The academy closed in June 1968. The reason identified was a decline in enrollment and lack of endowment. A former faculty member, Roland R. Robinson, founded Eastern Military Academy
Eastern Military Academy
Eastern Military Academy is a defunct academy founded in 1944 in Connecticut by Roland R. Robinson, a former mathematics teacher at Peekskill Military Academy , and his brother-in-law, Carleton Witham...
. The Academy buildings were razed to make room for a new Peekskill High School
Peekskill High School
Peekskill High School is located at 1072 Elm St. in Peekskill, New York, and educates most of the district's ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders. The high school's current principal is Sherrill Murray-Lazurus. Students at the high school prepare for the New York State Regents Exams in...
building. The Ford Administration Building
Ford Administration Building
Ford Administration Building is a historic school located at Peekskill, Westchester County, New York. It was built in 1925 and is a two story, "I"-shaped, red brick building in the Colonial Revival style. It features a central portico with four Doric order columns. The slate covered hipped roof is...
is the last significant structure remaining from the academy and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2006.
During the 1960s, the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
football team used the Academy and its playing field as a summer training camp. Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
was a Jets team member at the time. The team was called the New York Titans till 1963.