Grove Female Seminary

Location
Ohio, Wayne County, Ohio, United States

Grove Female Seminary

From the book "Williams' Akron, Wooster & Cuyahoga Falls Directory 1859", page 78
Native name	a.k.a. "Mrs. Pope's Seminary at Wooster"
Type	Higher Education; Schools--Universities & Colleges
Industry	Education Services
Fate	Dissolved
Founded	(Spring 1853 (Spring 1853))
Founder(s)	Elizabeth M. Hippee Pope
Headquarters	northeast corner North and Market Streets, Wooster, Ohio, United States
Number of locations	1 - Wooster, Ohio
Key people	Elizabeth M. Hippee Pope

Comprehensive History

The Grove Female Seminary was a learning institution which operated under various names and under various administrators in Wooster, Ohio from 1840 to circa 1870. Through the years since its founding in 1840, it was known as the Wooster Female School, the Wooster Female Seminary, Grove Female Institute, and Grove Female Seminary.

The school operated under the name Wooster Female School from 1840 to 1842. This school was established by Reverend Joseph McKee, and the first session was advertised as beginning on May 4, 1840, lasting 22 weeks, and was to be held in the Eberman building on East Liberty Street. Among the classes that the school offered were preparatory classes in spelling and reading; elementary classes in English grammar, geography, arithmetic, and writing; advanced classes in mathematics, natural and moral sciences, and rhetoric; as well as classes in French and drawing. Board and tuition inclusive of all classes except French and drawing was $20. The school’s name was changed to the Wooster Female Seminary during 1842, probably at the beginning of the Summer session.

The school operated under the name Wooster Female Seminary from 1842 to circa 1850. The superintendent was Reverend Joseph McKee, and his wife was the principal instructor. The school held a summer term (generally beginning in May) and a winter term (generally beginning in November). Each term consisted of two quarters, and each quarter lasted eleven weeks. Public examinations were held at the end of each term. Among the classes offered were basic courses in reading, spelling and geography ($3.00 tuition per quarter in 1842); philosophy, chemistry, botany, astronomy, logic, etc. ($5.00 tuition per quarter in 1842); French ($4.00 tuition per quarter in 1842), and music/piano ($8.00 tuition per quarter in 1842). A Latin and Greek class was added in 1844 ($4.00 tuition per quarter in 1844). A letter to the editor of the Wooster Democrat in 1844 mentioned that the number of students had grown to as many as 40 to 50 students per session. In 1845, boarding was offered at the Seminary at the price of $1.25 per week. In a May 1848 newspaper advertisement for the school, “Mrs. S. E. McKee” was listed as Principal and “Miss Elmina Smith” as Assistant. In an October 1848 advertisement, Mrs. McKee continued as Principal, with “Miss C. Rex” as Assistant. In July 1849, the school came under the supervision of “Mrs. E. M. Pope”.

The school operated under the name Grove Female Institute from circa 1850 to circa 1868, with Rev. Benjamin Pope as Superintendent and Rev. Mrs. Elizabeth Pope as Principal. The scholastic year was divided into three terms of fourteen weeks each. In 1854, primary classes were $3.50 to $4.00 per term, junior classes were $5.00 per term, middle classes were $6.00 per term, senior classes were $7.00 per term, music/piano was $10.00 per term, and board/tuition/washing/light/fuel, etc. was $40.00 per term, exclusive of languages and “ornamental” branches (e.g. painting and drawing). In a newspaper notice about the Institute’s recently published catalogue and circular for the year ending April 1855, it was mentioned that 114 young women attended the school in the past year, many pursuing Junior and Senior studies, with some 34 taking music lessons. Rev. Benjamin Pope was Superintendent and taught Latin and German, while Mrs. Pope was Principal and taught higher mathematics. There were five assistant teachers and a Domestic superintendent at that time. “The Institution is located on a slight eminence on North Liberty Street. It is pleasantly shaded by trees and occupies the centre of an entire block of lots (180 feet square) affording sufficient room for exercise and recreation.” In 1856, board and tuition were raised to $42.00 per term, with music on the piano an additional $12.00. Day students could attend classes at a tuition of from $3.50 to $7.00 per term. The Music Department came under the care of “Prof. C. Rudloff”.

In the Fall 1858 term, a “Dr. L. Firestone”, “favorably known to this community, and throughout the State as a scientific and practical Anatomist and Physiologist” was to deliver a regular course of lectures on those subjects, and a “Monsieur Subit” was to give instruction in French. Beginning in Fall 1859, the school year was divided into two sessions of 21 weeks each, with each session divided into two quarters, instead of the previous three terms of 14 weeks each. Board and tuition per quarter were $32.00 (exclusive of the extra branches), or $128.00 for an entire school year. Day students could attend classes at a tuition of from $3.00 to $5.50 per quarter, with piano instruction an additional $9.00 per quarter.

In 1861, the companies of Colonel de Courcy’s 16th Regiment assembled in front of the Grove Female Institute as they marched through Wooster on their way to Camp Dennison for training, each company giving three cheers “for the ladies of Wooster, who, on various occasions, had manifested their patriotism, and care for the volunteers, by preparing Hospital stores, clothing, food, &c., for the Regiment.”

Among the teachers in 1863 were “Mrs. W. W. Firestone” who was a musical instructor, and a “Miss Holbrook” and “Emily K. Howard”, who were assistant teachers.

In December 1865, the Grove Female Institute was advertised for sale by Elizabeth Pope. In August 1866, a notice in the Wooster Republican announced that the Fall Session would begin on September with “Miss E. W. Robb” as Principal.

The school operated under the name Grove Female Seminary from circa 1869 to circa 1870. It appears that about this time, the Seminary was moved to a new building. A notice in the January 27, 1870 edition of the Wooster Republican announces that the Seminary “will remove in February, to North Market St., opposite the Baptist Church.” “Miss E. W. Robb” was Principal, with Martha A. Webster as music teacher.

Faculty, 1859

• Rev. Benjamin Pope, Superintendent and teacher of Latin and German
• Mrs. Elizabeth M. Pope, Principal and teacher of painting, drawing, embroidery, mathematics, &c.
• Miss Sarah J. Black, teacher of physiology, astronomy, &c.
• Miss C. E. Reimensnyder, teacher of mathematics, natural history, &c.
• Miss Richard A. Hoy, teacher of English Branches
• Miss Eleanor Sturdevant, principal of Primary Department and Vocal Music
• Miss Cara L. Lehman, teacher of instrumental and vocal music
• Mr. Joshua Smith, teacher of guitar
• Professor C. Rudloff, teacher of instrumental music

Newspaper articles

Newspaper full-text articles

• 

  Wooster Democrat, October 2, 1845

• 

  Wooster Democrat, October 16, 1845

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  Daily Republican, Nov. 29, 1861.

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  Wooster Daily Republican, Apr. 13, 1895.

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  Wooster Republican, Feb. 19, 1896.

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  Wayne County Democrat, Aug. 19, 1896.

• 

  Daily Record, 1956-JAN-25

Newspaper ads/notices

• 

  Wooster Journal and Democratic Times, April 15, 1840

• 

  Wooster Democrat, Sept. 29, 1842

• 

  Wooster Democrat, Nov. 3, 1842

• 

  Wooster Democrat, Oct. 3, 1844

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  Wooster Democrat, Oct. 24, 1844

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  Wooster Democrat, Nov. 14, 1844

• 

  Wooster Democrat, May 1, 1845

• 

  Wooster Democrat, May 4, 1848

• 

  Wooster Democrat, Oct. 19, 1848

• 

  Wooster Democrat, July 12, 1849

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  Wayne County Democrat, Nov. 28, 1850.

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  Wooster Republican, Dec. 28, 1854.

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  Wooster Republican, May 3, 1855.

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  Wayne County Democrat, Nov. 27, 1856.

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  Wayne County Democrat, Sept. 9, 1858.

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  Wayne County Democrat, Aug. 18, 1859.

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  Wayne County Democrat, July 9, 1863.

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  Wooster Republican, Dec. 21, 1865.

• 

  Wooster Republican, Aug. 16, 1866.

• 

  Wooster Republican, Jan. 27, 1870.

External Links

• [List of Students of the Wooster Female Seminary, 1845] Student Name Index Project, Morgan Library of Ohio Imprints
• [Annual Catalogue and Circular of the Grove Female Institute, in Wooster, Ohio. United States, Printed at the Republican Office., 1858.]