The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 369
TOWN OF SPRINGPORT/ UNION SPRINGS.

new building 50 by 80 feet, the foundation for the main part of which is already laid. They give employment to ten men on an average, and make 5,000 to 6,000 sets of hubs and spokes per annum.

THE BRICK AND TILE WORKS owned by Dr. Benjamin Hoxie of Auburn, give employment to twelve men in the summer season, when in full operation, and have facilities for making 400,000 brick, or 350,000 tile per annum. The capacity of the kiln is 70,000 at one burning.

SCHOOLS.--Oakwood Seminary is situated on the high ground immediately above the village, and commands an extensive view of the lake and surrounding scenery. It was established in 1858, and incorporated by the Regents in 1860. It is conducted under the auspices of the New York Yearly Meeting of (Orthodox) Friends. It has recently been much enlarged and improved, and is now capable of affording comfortable accommodations for over a hundred boarders. Its original corporate title was Friends' Academy. Its present name, adopted since the recent improvements were made, is derived from the large oak grove forming a part of the several acres belonging to the institution. Since its origin several additions have been made to the buildings, all of which are of brick, mostly three stories high, and they are now treble their original size. Their entire length is about 160 feet. The young ladies' department is at one end, the young men's at the other, with lecture room, recitation rooms, cabinet and laboratory between; and with kitchen and dining room in the basement. The library comprises several hundred volumes; the chemical, philosophical and optical apparatus, including an astronomical telescope costing $500, is valued at $2,000.

The following is the present value of the property of the institution, as reported to the Regents:

Value of buildings------------------- $24,240

Value of grounds----------------------- 6,000

Value of library, apparatus and furniture, 4,200

Among the instructors at the present time (1878) are Prof. E. Cook, Prof. J. L. Barton, Miss Irena L. Pope, Miss Theodosia G. Chaplin, and Miss M. E. Carpenter. J. J. Thomas, A. M., lectures on the natural sciences, and gives instruction in elocution.

HOWLAND SCHOOL.--This school was established in 1863, and maintained during the first two years by the individual enterprise of R. B. Howland, who bought of Slocum Howland, for $6,000, the Philip Winegar homestead, and in the summer of that year built the east wing and the wooden addition on the south, the latter of which is used as a gymnasium and public hall. The school was opened in November, 1873. At the expiration of the two years, it was taken in charge by the trustees of the school fund left at his death by George Howland, father of R. B. Howland, of New Bedford, Mass., for the purpose of establishing a school in Cayuga County, and amounting to $50,000. About 1872, a four story brick addition was built, thus giving it a capacity to accommodate fifty boarders. The school is supported by the income from this fund and tuitions from the pupils, and has been kept open continuously till the fall of 1878, when it was temporarily closed. Until 1876, Mr. R. B. Howland had the immediate supervision of the school as agent for the board of trustees. In that year Dr. Henry Hartshorne, of Philadelphia, undertook its management. The school has had full collegiate courses, mathematics, the classics and languages. The apparatus is valued at $1,500; and the library, which contains about 1,000 volumes, including a French Government work of sixteen folio volumes, containing copies of the historical paintings in the art gallery at Versailles, at $2,000. The school is confined exclusively to ladies. It was first conducted under the name of the Young Ladies' Institute, which was changed when it came under the management of the trustees of the Howland school fund. It has attained a high degree of excellence and enjoys a good reputation for thorough work; but it languishes for want of proper support and patronage.

THE UNION SPRINGS UNION SCHOOL was organized under the general school law in 1860, by merging the two district schools then existing in the village. The building, a fine two-story brick structure, located on Green Street, was erected in 1866, at a cost of $10,000. It will accommodate 250 pupils. The apparatus connected with the school is valued at $200; and the library, which contains 500 volumes, at $500. The present teachers are Prof. J. F. Stewart, principal; Miss Carrie Lawrence, principal of primary department; Miss Ellen Spickerman, assistant in senior department; Miss Josephine Howland


Return to the Index of The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 by Elliott Storke
Return to the Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project Home Page