Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-09-10
ed as a Presbyterian sc hoOI.

ed as Presbyterian school.
The Rev. Mr.. Thacker succeeded East
and he, in turn was followed by
q Mr.. Smith. commonly call "Big Smith,
A year or two afterward, and about the
time of the opening Of Kalorama, Mr.. Ro.
d. Cooke opened a female school in the
Judge Thompson house, (which had been
the seat of the Yates schooD with, how
ever, better facilities and q considerably
larger number of pupils. This really
seems to have been good and quite
flourishing school for time; but for some
cause, it was discontinued, and there was
an interval of two or three years between
it and the opening of the Augusta Female
Seminary, 1892, during which there was
no female school in existence here, except
the Kalorama.
THE AUGUSTA FEMALE SEMINARY.
About this time (1s41) the Rev. R. W.
Bailey came to Staunton and seems to have
aroused in the people generally greater
desire to educate their daughters; and. In
1912, the Augusta Female Seminary, the
Oldest of the four female colleges here,
which now rank with the first in the coun
try, was established under the control of
the members of the Presbyterian church Of
Augusta county. Mr.. Bailey was its first
principal and for time conducted the
school in a frame building, near the pres
emit site OF tine City Gas Works. In the
meantime the old main-part of the present
seminary buildings was completed, with a
capacity Of about Is boarders. and the
school was moved into it at the beginning
Of the second session and conducted sue
cessfully by Mr.. B. with one or two assist
ants, for number of years.
Rev. W. G. Campbell succeeded Mr.
Baily; and afterwards came the Rev.
Saml Matthews, who was followed, after
comparatively short term, by Miss Rent
sci, and she after short term also, by the
Rev. W. B. Brown. The ADMINISTRATION of
the affairs of the seminary by these teach
ers ran, with varying degrees of success
both as to course and methods of instruc.
ton and numbers of pupils, through the
years from 1S4z TO 1857.
In 1858 Mr.. VIM. H. Marquis (brother.
in-law of DR.. Hoge) took charge of the In
stitution and during his superintendency
wings to the original building were erect
ed and improvements in other respects
were made. Mr.. Marquis, however, did
not remain long, and the school fell into
the hands of Mr.. Jno. B. Tinsley, who
continued in charge of it till the spring Of
1861 The principal employed several as
sistants, and the boarding pupils number
ed from Is to 80, until the beginning Of
the war, when the patronage was reduce
to day-scholars and five or six boaders, anG
the principal needed the services of but
two asslstants-his daughter and Miss
Wheat, from that time up to the perioi
when he closed his connection with thu
school.
The fall of 1868 is really the date which
marks the beginning of the wonderful era
of success and prosperity by which the
Seminary has ever since. in a steadily in.
creasing rate, been attended. and which it
now. enjoys in superlative degree. Al
that time the present distinguished princi.
pal, Miss Mary Julia Baldwin, associated
with Miss Agnes McClung, took possession
of the Institution, and assumed its entire
management. With a capacity for 8.
boarders, the necessity for increased &C
commodatlon soon became apparent. New
and elegant buildings were erected and
supplied with all the modern. improve
ments necessary for the health, comfort
and enjoyment of the inmates; thu
grounds were enlarged and Handsomely
embelllshed with trees; flowers and foun-
tains; the course Of study was made more
extensive and thorough; improved me
thods were adopted, and, with corps O
more than twenty competent teachers, the
Augusta Female Seminary will enter upol
its next session tomorrow splendidly
equipped in all the modern facilities ant
appointments for the useful and ornamen
tai education of young ladies. and unde
more promising auspices, perhaps, than a
any former period of its history. It's ca
pacity, which now reaches 40 or Is
boarders. has for the last several years
been strained, and, in fact, it is said thai
at the beginning of the last session, 6
number Of applicants were refused en-
trance. A
The A. F. Seminary includes in its sys.
item of instruction Preparatory and Col
egiate course of study and Musical
department. The collegiate course is
divided into separate schools, as in the
University OF Virginia, such as Latin.
Modern Languages, Natural Sciences,
Mathematics, Moral Philosophy, English
Literature and History, in each of which
diploma or certificate of proficiency is
awarded on proof of proficiency in the
studies of that particular school, and q
diploma of full graduate is conferred upon
one who holds certificates of proficiency
in specified number of these schools.
THE VIRGINIA FEMALE INSTITUTE.
To mention the female colleges here in
the order of their respective ages the Vir-
ginia Female Institute comes next. It
was established by the Council of the Dio
case of Virginia of the Protestant Eplsco-
pal church, in the year 1874, and Mr.. Nc
Ilroy was its first principal. It was open
ed two years later than the Augusta Fe-
male Seminary and nine years after the
Kalorama, which last being also an Epis-
copal school, it 1.-THE Virginia Female In
stitute) gradually absorbed.
Mr.. Minor succeeded Mr.. Mcilroy in the
conduct Of this institution and carried it on
successfully for number of years. But
it never attained its splendid standing and
influence as first class female college. till
a later day, when under the charge of the