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Newburgh Female Seminary

The Newburgh Female Seminary was established by Reverend Nathaniel Scudder Prime in the year 1835. In 1840, the Newburgh Female Seminary was noted as one of the Female Seminaries in the State, which was published in “The New-York Annual Register” by Edwin Williams. Rev. W.C. Foote took charge of the seminary in 1839 and remained there for six years. In a letter published by Yale University in “Biographical Memoranda Respecting All who Ever Were Members of the Class of 1832”, Foote wrote that “In the review of life, I have very much to be grateful for. Though as teachers we have often been disheartened by the apparently little result of our labors, yet, as we have followed our girls, developing and maturing into noble women, we have felt that our labors were not in vain.” Ann Bevier Hasbrouck attended the Newburgh Female Seminary around 1842 when she would have been 14 years old. In a letter to Louisa Hasbrouck from Hylah’s sister, Elizabeth Bevier, she writes “I had heard by your Aunt Charity that Ann had gone to the Newburgh Seminary. She enjoys a great privilege such as fads not to the lot of every one; indeed of but a favored few. . .” she goes on to say “As to her fare you say she has pork and beans for her Saturday dinner and think that is not good food and ask my opinion whether it is — I must beg leave my dear niece to differ from you in this particular — It is an excellent dish. . .” The letter was dated December 23, 1842.