Administrative Information

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Staunton Academy Board of Trustees Minute Book, 1793-1812. Local government records collection, Augusta County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Augusta County under the accession number 43658.

Historical Information

The Staunton Academy, located in Staunton , Va. and one of the first private boy's schools in the Shenandoah Valley, was incorporated by an act of the Virginia Legislature on 4 December 1792; however, the school's building was not completed until after 1810. The school was founded from funds raised through the sale of general subscriptions in the county and by funds donated by the state from proceeds raised through the sale of glebe lands. Charles O'Neal was the elected as the first principle of the academy, and William Sterret, James Clarke, and John McCausland were among the first to teach at the academy.

Scope and Content

The Staunton Academy Board of Trustees Minute Book, 1793-1812, details the minutes of meetings of the academy's board of trustees. Early meetings describe the formation of the board of trustees and the election of officers. Alexander Humphreys was elected president, and Archibald Stuart was selected to fill the secretary position. Also stated in an early meeting is the board's vision of the type of education to be offered at the academy: "that the dead languages and such branches of science as are taught in modern schools and necessary to qualify students for the learned professions ought to be the object of the Institution, that the knowledge of the history of the ancient Republics and the history of man generally far as has been recorded the last three centuries is an important branch of science and ought to be considered indispensable."

Other topics discussed in the minutes include the hiring of teachers, establishing tuition rates, selecting the school's curriculum, and creating plans for reviewing the progress of teachers and students.

Beginning in 1808, meetings provide information on the construction plans of the academy's building on land given by Archibald Stuart. The minutes provide details on construction plans and the attempts to gather funds for the academy's support.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Staunton Academy.

Subjects:

• Education--Virginia--Augusta County.
• School management and organization--Virginia--Augusta County.
• Schools--Virginia--Augusta County.

Geographical Names:

• Augusta County (Va.)--Education--18th century.
• Augusta County (Va.)--Education--19th century.
• Augusta County (Va.)--History--18th century.
• Augusta County (Va.)--History--19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records--Virginia--Augusta County.
• Minute books.