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. It advertised "elegant accommodations, excellent advantages, reliable terms."[2]
History
In 1857, a group of investors purchased seven acres with a house in Warrenton, Virginia, from William F. Phipps, to establish a girl's school, the tentatively called the Fauquier Female Seminary.[3] Rather than using the existing brick house, they hired John R. Spilman of Warrenton to build a new, large school house.[3]
Fauquier Female Institute opened in October 1860.[4] 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.[5] Its original principals were J. S. Bacon, DD and R. P. Latham, A.M.[4][1] In July 1866, the school property was purchased by Rev. H. H. Wyer of
Louisa County, Virginia.[6][7][8] He moved to the Institute and oversaw its operation with Bacon.[6][7]
In August 1868, the school was operated by Wyer and J. B. Budwell, Esq.[5] It was sold to John A. Spilman and Dr. Robert Frazer in 1871.[3] Frazer was in charge of the institute.[3] In 1875, Mr. Averett who had been the institute's principal, left to start a school for boys in Culpepper.[9] Miss A. Taylor of
Balitmore, Maryland rented the school in July 1875, with plans to open it in September.[10] In September, a newspaper reported that a Prof. Dowdy from
Louden County, Virginia was now in charge of the school.[11]
In February 1887, the institute was purchased for $10,000 by Prof. Ayres of
Marion, Alabama.[18][19] Fleet returned to his prior home in Essex County, Virginia.[17] George A. Bulter, A.M. was the school's principal in 1887; he previously had a private boarding school in
Pottstown, Pennsylvania.[20][3] Major Robert P. Barry purchase the Fauquier Female Institute for $8,000 in July 1888.[21][3] Barry leased the institute to Butler who operated the school with his wife, Adelaide, and their daughters Nellie and Edith.[22][3] Butler remained principal of the institute until his death on August 7, 1908 at the age of 86 years.[23]
In 1890, the school began opening as a summer resort for private boarding during the summer months.[24][25][26] This was an attempt to balance the institute's budget.[3] The Richmond Dispatch reported that the school had applicants for students from
Puerto Rico and other distant locations in 1902.[27] 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.[28]
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.[29][30][31][32][3] By 1912, the institute was a member of the
Association of Colleges and Schools for Girls.[33] The institute was purchased from Barry by local businessmen Joseph and Herman Ullman in 1915.[34][3] Nellie and Alice Butler retired in 1923.[32] Three teachers stayed and attempted to keep the school open.[3] In 1923, Miss May Strother and Mrs. Katherine D. Carr took over the institute.[35][36][37] In 1926, ads called the school the Fauquier Institute for Girls.[38]
Although sources suggest that the institute closed in either 1923 or 1925, it was advertised for the 65th session in the fall of 1926.[39][38][34][3] 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.[40][41][42] 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.[43][44]
After it closed, the institute building was turned into a boarding house and apartments.[45] The Ullman brother sold the property and nine acres to Vincent O. Jacobs in October 1945.[45][34][3]
Campus
The campus was located on ten acres in Fauquier County, Virginia (now 139 Culpeper Street in Warrenton).[20][34][46] It included a three-story brick building constructed for the school and to board the students.[4][34] The
Italiante style building features four central interior chimneys, a
hipped roof, and
corbelled brickwork, along with
gabledpavilions.[3] It was described as "a handsome building surrounded by beautiful grounds".[16]
The school included up to 26 boarding students, about 40 day students, and eleven faculty members.[47][48]
Academics
The school included primary, preparatory, and collegiate levels.[4] Students learned reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, French, Latin, psychology, and poetry.[3]
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.[4] 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.[4] 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.[4] In 1879, tuition and boarding were $200, with classes starting in September.[2] Commencement was held in May.[12]
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.[49] 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.[50][51]
In 1925, the institute offered secretarial sources in addition to French, music, and outdoor sports.[52]
Student life
Students participated in activities such as chorus and theater.[53][49][54] Its music students also gave concerts for the community and the school's patrons.[55] In 1906, its number of boarding students was limited to 26.[47][37] The King’s Daughters of Warrenton established a Good Will Circle at the institute in 1889; it operated there until the school closed.[3][56] The institute also had the Epsilon chapter for
Alpha Sigma Alpha from 1905 to 1907.[39][57]
^"Fauquier Institute". Fauquier Democrat. 5 May 1928. p. 3. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Virginia Chronicle | Library of Virginia.
^"Virginian's Enter Oratory Contest". Fauquier Democrat. 7 March 1928. p. 2. Retrieved December 20, 2023 – via Virginia Chronicle | Library of Virginia.