Patapsco Female Institute Records, 1833-1921, MS 643

Records of the trustees of the Paptapsco Female Institute, relating largely to the organizing (1833), financing, and dissolving (1890s) of the school. Includes correspondence, minutes, and legal papers.

As was common in the nineteenth century, the trustees leased the school buildings to principals who organized and operated the school. Therefore, few of these papers relate to the educational policy of the school. [UNK] mention is made of educational philos ophy in letters to the trustees from the principals [UNK] during the early years. Letters [UNK] principals include J.H. Tyng (1836-1838), Mary Norris (1838-1840), John and Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps (1842-1851), and Margaret (1833-1836) who contemplated becoming the first principal. There is also one report (1840s) by the trustees on a commencement exercise [UNK] Almira H. L. Phelps which mentions her educational methods. There are a few papers on the free scholars that the school was paid by the state to educate, but these deal with the costs of their education not their education itself.

The papers reflect the trustees larger role in the school: establishing, financing, and dissolving its. These matters are alluded to in the brief minutes of their infrequent meetings (1833-1890). Much of the collection relates to building (1833-1837) the school building, raising funds (1833-1852) through stock subscriptions and state lotteries, and dissolving (1890-1893) the school.

The papers relative to erecting and maintaining the building are filed under Trustees Building Committee Papers. They are correspondence, including letters from the building's architect Robert Cary Long, contracts with [UNK], 2 receipt books, and loose receipts. The lists of stock subscribers, stock certificates, and 5 volumes of stock records record one source of income. The trustees also received state authorization to raise funds by a lottery, and there are memoranda (1839) and letters (1840-1852) about the lotteries. There is also a cashbook (1834-1891).

Although the school was leased (not continuously) until 1890, there are few papers from the period 1852-1890. In 1890 the trustees began proceedings to dissolve the Pa tapsco Female Instutute. The remaining papers (correspondence powers of attorney, agreements) deal with the legal actions and are in the name of trustee James Mackubin.

The collection includes three items concerning the [UNK] Bank in Ellicott Mills: minutes of a meeting to charter the bank (1834) and two items about the resumption of specie payment by banks in Maryland (1842), one of which is a detailed argument by [UNK] B. Dorsey, President of the Patapsco [UNK] about the specie payments.

Box 1

Trustees correspondence, 1833-1896, n.d.

Trustees Building Committee Papers, 1833-1870, n.d.

Trustees legal papers: trustees election, 1833-1890

Trustees legal papers: school leases, 1836-1879

Trustees legal papers: powers of attorney, 1844-1893

Trustees legal papers: re: dissolution, 1890-1896, n.d.

free scholars, 1836-1864

land deed and plat

insurance policies

printed material

fragments [UNK]

[UNK] Bank material, 1834, 1842

Box 2

Trustees minutes, 1833-1890

(2 vols.)

Trustees minutes (rough draft), 1833-1842, 1890

Trustees resolutions

Trustees reports, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1843, n.d.

receipts, 1833-1891

receipt books, 1834-1838, 1856

(2 vols.)

Box 3

lists of stock subscriptions, 1833-1856, [1890s?]

[UNK] certificates

stock ledgers, 1834-1854

(3 vols.)

list of stock subscribers, 1834-1837

(2 vols.)

memoranda re: lottery, 1839

cancelled [UNK] 1891-1894

cash book, 1834-1891

Patapsco Female Institute diploma, 1878

Patapsco Female Institute seal (brass die) transferred to Printer Photographs Jan 1989