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Agency History/Biographical note:
The Ipswich Female Seminary began in April of 1828. Zilpah P. Grant Banister was principal and Mary Lyon was her assistant. The average enrollement was 142 students. The course of study included English, advanced artithmetic, geography, United States Government, history, and natural sciences. Young women were allowed to "practice-teach" under the guidance of a teacher at Ipswich. The Seminary sent 88 teachers west and south to work as educational missionaries. The school closed in 1839. In 1844 it reopened under a graduate Eunice Cadwell and her husband Reverend John P. Cowles. It permanently closed in 1876 as a result of the increasing number of public schools.

Scope and Content:
Records of a school for young women opened in 1828 with Zilpah Grant as principal. Mary Lyon served as teacher, assistant principal, and as principal in Zilpah Grant's absence. Includes mss. catalogue, letters, and reports; printed catalogues and miscellaneous publications.

Cite as: Ipswich Female Seminary Records, Mount Holyoke College, Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, Massachusetts

Access Restrictions: Unrestricted

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