The Smithville Seminary was a Freewill Baptist institution established in 1839 at the location of the modern Institute Lane in

Smithville-North Scituate, Rhode Island North Scituate is a village in the town of Scituate, Rhode Island, United States. Since 1967, the village has been home to the Scituate Art Festival.Pentecostal Collegiate Institute, later the Watchman Institute, and then became the Scituate Commons apartments. It was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1978.

Campus

The buildings on the

knoll In geography, knoll is another term for a knowe or hillock, a small, low, round natural hill or mound. Knoll may also refer to: Places * Knoll Camp, site of an Iron Age hill fort Hampshire, England, United Kingdom * Knoll Lake, Leonard Canyon, ...

were built in 1839 and comprised a large three-story central building with columns and two wings. The wings, with 33 rooms each, were separated by 20 feet from the main building and connected to it via two-story covered passageways. The central building housed classrooms, offices, staff apartments, and dining facilities, a library and reading room on the second floor, and a large room on the third floor which might serve as a

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

, while the other two buildings served as separate male and female

dormitories A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...

. The two-mile-long Lake Moswansicut could be seen from the third-floor chapel. The buildings were designed by Russell Warren, the leading

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

architect in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

in the 20th century, After the close of the renamed Lapham Institute, the campus became the site of the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute from 1902 to 1919 and, eventually, the Watchman Institute in 1923. The site became part of the

in 1978. The buildings were also renovated in the 1970s and converted into apartments known as Scituate Commons.Rhode Island College Sesquicentennial
/ref>

History

Smithville Seminary in Scituate Rhode Island

Smithville Seminary was founded in 1839 by the Rhode Island Association of Free Baptists. At the time, the Free Baptists already had two academies, one in

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

(the New Hampton Institute), the other in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

( Parsonsfield Seminary), and the Rhode Island Baptists desired to have one of their own. Reverend Hiram Brooks was asked to start the school, and raised $20,000, all of which he put toward buildings. The entire commitment of these monies to brick and mortar rather than an endowment fund may have caused financial difficulties for the institution, as it was unable to support itself through tuition revenue. The first principal was Rev. Hosea Quimby, who had come from the Maine academy to serve at Smithville. Quimby worked for the school, even buying the property when financial trouble struck, until it closed temporarily in 1854 with only 20 students (in 1845, it had an enrollment of over 300 representing 7 U.S. states). It was revived the next year when Quimby rented the property to a Samuel P. Coburn, who became principal, and enrollment again reached over 100 that year. The property was sold to Reverend W. Colgrove in 1857, who operated it for another two years before it closed again, this time for three years. The site of

Henry Barnard Henry Barnard (January 24, 1811 – July 5, 1900) was an American educator and reformer. Biography He was born in Hartford, Connecticut on January 24, 1811 and attended Wilbraham & Monson Academy. He graduated from Yale University in 1830 and ...

’s first Rhode Island Teachers Institute in 1845, the school began giving normal instruction for teachers with public funding in 1867, but ceased in 1871 when the state's Education Commissioner re-established the Rhode Island Normal School and cut program funding for other institutions. In 1863 the school changed hands and changed its name after a minister and former professor at the school, returned in 1861 to find much of the campus dilapidated and in disrepair. With the Free Baptist Association unwilling or unable to help, William Winsor recruited Congressman Benedict Lapham, after whom the new Lapham Institute was named. In addition to its connections to what would later become

Rhode Island College Rhode Island College (RIC) is a public college in Rhode Island, United States, with much of the land in Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, and other parts in North Providence, Rhode Island, North Providence. The college was established in 18 ...

, the school had connections to

Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...

, another Free Baptist institution.William Howe Tolman, ''History of Higher Education in Rhode Island'', (DC: Government Printing Office 1894), 70-71.
/ref> Its first principal, Benjamin F. Hayes, was called to a professorship at Bates, and his successor, Thomas L. Angell, was also called to a professorship there after two years as principal in North Scituate. George H. Ricker then took over as principal for seven years before being called to

Hillsdale College Hillsdale College is a Private university, private, Conservatism in the United States, conservative, Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1844 by members of the Free Will Baptists. Women were admi ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

in 1874. His successor was Arthur G. Moulton, a trustee of Bates, who died just over a year after taking the position. He was followed as principal by W.S. Stockbridge, under whom the school finally closed in 1876. William Winsor was the last benefactor of the institute, and when no one replaced him, the school went bankrupt without an endowment to support it. In 1883 Winsor donated the library of the

Lapham Institute The Smithville Seminary was a Freewill Baptist institution established in 1839 at the location of the modern Institute Lane in Smithville-North Scituate, Rhode Island. Renamed the Lapham Institute in 1863, it closed in 1876. The site was then u ...

to the Greenville Public Library.

Notable alumni

James Burrill Angell James Burrill Angell (January 7, 1829 – April 1, 1916) was an American educator and diplomat. He is best known for being the longest-serving president of the University of Michigan, from 1871 to 1909. He represented the transition from smal ...

, President of the University of Michigan, University of Vermont * Thomas L. Angell, Professor at

Lewis Boss Lewis Boss (26 October 1846 – 5 October 1912) was an American astronomer. He served as the director of the Dudley Observatory in Schenectady, New York. Early life Boss was born in Providence, Rhode Island to Samuel P. and Lucinda (née Jos ...

, astronomer, director of

Dudley Observatory Dudley Observatory is an astronomical education non-profit located since 2019 in Loudonville, New York and is the oldest non-academic institution of astronomical research in America. It was formerly located in Albany, New York (1856–1973) and Sch ...

* George T. Day, pastor, writer, professor * Henry Howard, Governor of Rhode Island 1873-1875 * Oscar Lapham, U.S. Congressman

References

{{authority control 1876 disestablishments in the United States Protestant seminaries and theological colleges Seminaries and theological colleges in Rhode Island Educational institutions established in 1839 Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island Russell Warren buildings North Scituate, Rhode Island Schools in Providence County, Rhode Island Buildings and structures in Scituate, Rhode Island National Register of Historic Places in Providence County, Rhode Island Historic district contributing properties in Rhode Island

Campus

History

Notable alumni

See also

References