Williston Northampton School

Last updated
Williston Northampton School
Address
Williston Northampton School
19 Payson Avenue

Easthampton
,
Massachusetts
01027

United States
Coordinates 42°16′00.33″N72°40′18.41″W / 42.2667583°N 72.6717806°W / 42.2667583; -72.6717806
Information
Other nameWilliston
Type Private, day and boarding college-preparatory school
Established1841;183 years ago (1841)
NCES School ID 00604341 [1]
Head of schoolRobert Hill [2]
Teaching staff99
Grades7–12
Gender Co-educational
Enrollment435 (2023-2024)
Student to teacher ratio6:1
Campus size125 acres (0.51 km2)
Color(s)Blue and green   
Song O Williston
MascotWilliston Wildcat
NewspaperThe Willistonian
Website www.williston.com

Williston Northampton School (simply referred to as Williston) is a private, co-educational, day and boarding college-preparatory school in Easthampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1841.

Contents

History

Samuel Williston. The WillistonNorthamptonSchool Samuelwilliston.jpg
Samuel Williston.

Williston Seminary was founded by Samuel Williston (1795–1874), a wealthy button manufacturer, in February 1841; [3] the school opened that December, with a dedication address by Mark Hopkins, president of nearby Williams College. The idea of opening a new academy in the neighborhood had been in the air ever since the closing in 1834 of the Round Hill School in nearby Northampton. [4] In its early days, there was no arrangement of studies by terms and the students were not classified. Luther Wright, its principal from 1841 to 1849, believed it was desirable to have his pupils study together in a single room under his direction. However, the school's student population grew rapidly and the one-room schoolhouse scheme was soon no longer practicable as more instructors and new buildings were added. By the 1850s, the schools campus was dominated by three large buildings: North Hall, Middle Hall and South Hall. For many years, the school was co-educational, with the students divided and taught separately in male and female departments, but in 1864, the female division was discontinued. [5] [6]

The seminary comprised two faculties: classical and scientific. With the departure in 1863 of the school's second president, Josiah Clark, a classicist Greek and Latin scholar who had vigorously fought against the expansion of the English department, the school's curriculum began to be modernized. Samuel Williston remained the dominant influence in the school's growth until his death in 1874. In the late 19th century, the dual curricula had evolved into a more modern comprehensive course (e.g. with "scientific and preparatory departments"), [7] and in 1924 the school was renamed Williston Academy. During the 1960s, Williston began to examine possibilities for coeducation and in 1971, merged with its longtime sister school, the Northampton School for Girls, to become the Williston Northampton School. [8] Starting as a preparatory academy for those seeking the clergy, the school now has a core college preparatory curriculum. [9] [10]

Students and faculty

Old Campus, Williston. TheWillistonNorthamptonSchool oldschool.jpg
Old Campus, Williston.

Williston Northampton encompasses the middle school (7th and 8th grade) and the upper school (9th-12th and postgraduate).

The school had 486 students in the 2017-2018 academic year with 58.6 teachers on a full-time equivalent basis, and a student–teacher ratio of 8.3. [1] Its boarding students come from 25 states and 30 countries around the world. International students come from eastern Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The campus

Ford Hall and Birch Dining Commons, viewed from the Williston pond. WillistonCampus.jpg
Ford Hall and Birch Dining Commons, viewed from the Williston pond.

The 125-acre (0.51 km2) campus is located in Easthampton, Massachusetts, within view of Mount Tom.

Many of the school's buildings and dorms are situated around the main quad. In 2017, construction began on a new dorm across from the main part of campus. [11] The Schoolhouse, a former factory building remodeled in the 1950s to resemble the old schoolhouse building on the original Main Street campus, holds English and math classes and also contains administrative offices. In 1996, the former gymnasium, originally built in 1924, was transformed into the Reed Campus Center. In 2019, the athletic center was named the Sabina Cain Family Athletic Center. [12] The Dodge Room is the setting for many guest speakers, including the school's Writers' Workshop series. [13]

After a fire destroyed the school's theater building in 1994, it was rebuilt adjacent to the science laboratories, Scott Hall. The Williston Theatre is a 250-seat performance space. [14]

The Robert Clapp Memorial Library is located near the center of the campus. The library has a 40,000+ collection.

The Middle School is housed in the Whitaker-Bement Center. It was created in 1972 in honor of the Northampton School for Girls founders Sarah B. Whitaker and Dorothy M. Bement. The Phillips Stevens Chapel (1964) hosts both the weekly assembly in its traditional chapel and language classes in its basement.

Tuition

Tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year is $74,000 for boarding students, and $51,000 for day students. Tuition for the middle school is $41,000. [15]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easthampton, Massachusetts</span> City in Massachusetts, United States

Easthampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The city is in the Pioneer Valley, near the five colleges in the college towns of Northampton and Amherst. The population was 16,211 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William S. Clark</span> American chemist, botanist and college president (1826–1886)

William Smith Clark was an American professor of chemistry, botany, and zoology; a colonel during the American Civil War; and a leader in agricultural education. Raised and schooled in Easthampton, Massachusetts, Clark spent most of his adult life in Amherst, Massachusetts. He graduated from Amherst College in 1848 and obtained a doctorate in chemistry from Georgia Augusta University in Göttingen in 1852. He then served as professor of chemistry at Amherst College from 1852 to 1867. During the Civil War, he was granted leave from Amherst to serve with the 21st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, eventually achieving the rank of colonel and the command of that unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northfield Mount Hermon School</span> School in Gill, Massachusetts, United States

Northfield Mount Hermon School, is a co-educational college-preparatory school in Gill, Massachusetts. It educates boarding and day students in grades 9–12, as well as post-graduate students. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Academy (Groton, Massachusetts)</span> School in Groton, Massachusetts, United States

Lawrence Academy at Groton is a private, nonsectarian, co-educational college-preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts. Founded in 1792 as Groton Academy and chartered in 1793 by Governor John Hancock, Lawrence is the tenth-oldest boarding school in the United States and the third-oldest in Massachusetts, following The Governor's Academy (1763) and Phillips Academy at Andover (1778).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baylor School</span> Private, boarding, day school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States

Baylor School, commonly called Baylor, is a private, coeducational college-preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1893, the school's current campus comprises 690 acres and enrolls students in grades 6 to 12, including boarding students in grades 9 through 12. These students are served by Baylor's 148-member faculty, over two-thirds of whom hold advanced degrees, including nearly 40 adults who live on campus and serve as dorm parents. Baylor has had a student win the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement in math and science and a teacher received the National Siemens Award for Exemplary Teaching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopkins School</span> Private day school in New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Hopkins School is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational, day school for grades 7–12 located in New Haven, Connecticut.

Canterbury School is an interfaith, college preparatory, coeducational boarding and day independent school for students in grades 9-12 and post-graduate. It is located in New Milford, Connecticut, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii Preparatory Academy</span> Private, college-prep, day & boarding school in Kamuela, Hawaiʻi, United States

Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy is a coeducational, private, day and international boarding school in Kamuela, Hawaiʻi, providing K-12 education. The school has an annual day tuition at the Lower School (K-5) of $22,900, $25,300 at the Middle School (6-8), and $29,600 at the Upper School (9-12). Boarding tuition is $59,100 & $69,400 in 2021/22.

Foxcroft School, founded in 1914 by Charlotte Haxall Noland, is a college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12 & PG, located near Middleburg, Virginia, United States. Foxcroft’s mission is to help every girl explore her unique voice and to develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world. In its century of existence, Foxcroft has educated the daughters of corporate titans and congressmen, including women from the Rockefeller, Carnegie, Roosevelt, Mellon, du Pont, Auchincloss and Astor families. It is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools, and is a founding member of the International Coalition of Girls' Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holworthy Hall</span>

Holworthy Hall, in Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a historic dormitory for first-year students at Harvard College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowell High School (Massachusetts)</span> Public school in Lowell, Massachusetts , United States

Lowell High School is a public high school located in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. The school is a part of Lowell Public Schools. The mascot name is the Red Raider and the colors are maroon & gray. Current enrollment is over 3,500 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyoming Seminary</span> Independent boarding school in Kingston, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, United States

Wyoming Seminary, founded in 1844, is a Methodist college preparatory school located in the Wyoming Valley of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The "Lower School," which consists of preschool 8th-grade students, is located in Forty Fort. The "Upper School," comprising 9th-grade to postgraduate students, is located in Kingston. It is near the Susquehanna River and the city of Wilkes-Barre. Locally and in some publications, it is sometimes referred to as "Sem." As a boarding school, only Upper School students may board on campus. Slightly more than one-third of the Upper School student body resides on campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Yarmouth Academy</span> Co-ed, prep school in Yarmouth, Maine, United States

North Yarmouth Academy is an independent, co-ed, college preparatory day school serving students from early childhood education to postgraduate. NYA was founded in 1814, in what was then North Yarmouth, Maine, prior to the 1849 secession that established Yarmouth, the town in which the school now stands. NYA has 394 enrolled students with an average class size of 14 students. NYA offers 16 interscholastic sports for boys and girls at the Varsity and Junior Varsity level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine Central Institute</span> Private, boarding school in Pittsfield, Maine, United States

Maine Central Institute (MCI) is an independent high school in Pittsfield, Maine, United States that was established in 1866. The school enrolls approximately 430 students and is a nonsectarian institution. The school has both boarding and day students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Hall School</span> Private school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States

Dana Hall School is an independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 5-12 located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1881 by Henry F. Durant, Dana Hall originally served as Wellesley College's preparatory program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilton School</span> School in Tilton, New Hampshire, United States

Tilton School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school in Tilton, New Hampshire, serving students from 9th to 12th grade and postgraduate students. Founded in 1845, Tilton's student body in the 2021-22 academic year consisted of 61 day students and 129 boarding students. The typical student enrollment includes representation from 15-20 states and 10-15 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James School, Maryland</span> Private episcopal boarding school

Saint James School is an independent boarding and day school in the U.S. state of Maryland. Founded in 1842 as the College and Grammar School of St. James's, the school is a coeducational college preparatory school and the oldest Episcopal boarding school in the United States founded as a boarding school proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyndon Institute</span> Private boarding school in Lyndon, Vermont, United States

Lyndon Institute is a coeducational, nonprofit, independent, day and boarding comprehensive high school located on a 52 acres (21 ha) campus in the village of Lyndon Center, in the town of Lyndon, Vermont. It provides education for grades 9 through 12 for both local students and students resident on campus. Tuition is $45 000 for full boarders and $16,825 for day students. The current head of school is Dr. Brian Bloomfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buxton School (Massachusetts)</span> College-preparatory school in Williamstown, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States

Buxton School is a private, coeducational, college preparatory, and boarding and day school for grades 9–12 located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, US. As of 2023, the school had a student body of 68 students.

Oliver Warner was a Massachusetts clergyman, politician, and librarian who served in both houses of the Massachusetts legislature and, from 1858 to 1876, served as the 14th Secretary of the Commonwealth.

References

  1. 1 2 "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for THE WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Campus Leadership". Williston Northampton School. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  3. ↑ Adams, George (1853). "Education in Massachusetts: Incorporated Academies". Massachusetts Register. Boston: Printed by Damrell and Moore.
  4. ↑ "A Group of Classical Schools (II)". Harper's New Monthly Magazine: 706. October 1877.
  5. ↑ Cutter, William Richard (1910). Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts. Lewis Historical Publishing Co. p. 338.
  6. ↑ Howard, Philip Eugene (1906). The life story of Henry Clay Trumbull. International Committee of Young Men's Christian Association. p. 39.
  7. ↑ "Williston Seminary". The Independent. July 6, 1914. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  8. ↑ "Wife of former headmaster to be honored at service". Daily Hampshire Gazette. August 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ Mirabelli, Manon L. (May 31, 2010). "Williston Northampton graduates 136 seniors". The Republican. Springfield, Mass. Archived from the original on 2018-07-27.
  10. ↑ "A Brief History of The Williston Northampton School". The Williston Northampton School. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Williston Northampton School aims for 'real community feeling' with new dorm". Daily Hampshire Gazette. August 11, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Williston Announces Major Gift From Cain Family". Williston. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  13. ↑ "Williston Northampton School to host series of public readings". Daily Hampshire Gazette. October 11, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Theater". Williston. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  15. ↑ "Tuition and Financial Aid | Williston Northampton School". Williston. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  16. ↑ Leonard, John W., ed. (1922). Who's who in Finance, Banking, and Insurance. Brooklyn, NY: Who's Who In Finance Incorporated. p. 474 – via Google Books.
  17. ↑ Teller, Rick (December 31, 2018). "The Confessions of Harlan Mendenhall". Williston Northampton and Local History. Easthampton, MA: The Williston Northampton School. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  18. ↑ Blaisdell, James S. "In Memoriam: Charles Burt Sumner". Pomona College Quarterly Magazine. 16 (October 1927–January 1928): 6. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.