by Shannon Butler
As you might have read in previous blog entries, lots of interesting buildings that once stood in Poughkeepsie have now been lost to time. You are most likely also aware of the fact that Poughkeepsie had several schools and seminaries. (Heads up: we’ll run a program about that later on this year, stay tuned!) Just a few weeks ago, we looked at the Lyndon Hall School for Girls. This week, we will examine yet another: the Glen Eden School.
Dr. Frederic Martin Townsend served as a principal for a school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and wanted to continue his work under the auspices of the Episcopal church. He made his way into Poughkeepsie, where he expressed interest in purchasing Miss Eleanor Shackleford’s school known as St. Faith’s School. Miss Shackleford had transformed the mansion of John F. Hume, which was located on Washington Street, into a school back in 1904. By 1910, Townsend came in with his own idea for a school which he called the Glen Eden School. As with many of the local girls’ schools, this institution was designed to serve as part finishing school and part college prep.
The school offered classes in the major languages of the world, as well as mathematics, music, art, history, and science. There was an added fee for a class called “Domestic Sciences,” which was essentially how to cook, clean, and take care of a home, which was still the most likely option for young girls at the time. As a final exam for this class, the student had to prepare a complete luncheon for special guests (because nobody is going to marry you if you can’t prepare a proper luncheon!). The fee for attendance was $600 per year. In its the first year of operations, it received more applications for entry than they had room to accommodate. They filled the school with 50 students in residence. They also considered themselves a “Church School,” meaning that they operated under certain Christian values; students were expected to attend Sunday services at the Episcopal church.
The Glen Eden School girls were also expected to be active and maintain good physical health. The campus had a tennis and a basketball court on the grounds with several hiking and horseback riding opportunities. They also encouraged fencing and heading into the city of Poughkeepsie to use the Y.W.C.A. for roller skating and bowling. The girls also took several excursions into neighboring sightseeing spots, like boating at Lake Mohonk and taking steamers up the Hudson to Kingston. Of course, the brochures for the college informed any interested parents that “A Chaperon accompanies all excursion parties.” The school put ads in magazines like Scribner’s and Harper’s, attracting students from all over the country.
Sadly, as Poughkeepsie morphed into a more active city with a crowded and noisy waterfront, the school’s main appeal as a pleasant school in the quiet and beautiful countryside (hence the Eden bit in the name) started to fade away. Dr. Townsend saw a need to move the school entirely by 1917, reasoning that the new mills built on Delafield Street created too much noise and pollution. So he moved the school to Stamford, Connecticut in 1919. After the school left the area, the house and grounds at Glen Eden became a hotel and tavern for many years. By the late 1930’s, there was mention of apartments being built on the site, but you would be more familiar with the modern day buildings on the location. The school and campus once stood on the ground where the Dutchess County Stabilization Center and Mike Arteaga’s fitness center now sit.
References:
Glen Eden School Brochure 373p – LH Collections
Poughkeepsie Eagle News – Aug 29 1904, April 12 1910, May 19 1919
Scribner’s Magazine 1912
Harper’s Magazine 1915
Images:
01 – Postcard of Glen Eden from the front entrance – LH Collections
02 – Image of the side of Glen Eden – LH Collections
03 – Sanborn map showing the location of Glen Eden – Library of Congress
04 – Advertisement for Glen Eden, next to an ad for Bennett School in Scribner’s Magazine, 1912
05 – Image of the girls on the Tennis court at Glen Eden – LH Collections
06 – Image of some students on the front porch of Glen Eden – LH Collections
07 – Image of a bedroom at Glen Eden – LH Collections
08 – Image of two students fencing at Glen Eden – LH Collections
09 – Image of the dining hall at Glen Eden – LH Collections
