Clover Street Seminary collection

Collection

Identifier: D.395

Staff Only

Biographical/Historical note

The Clover Street Seminary was established in 1845 and occupied the property at the northeast corner of Clover Street and Elmwood Avenue in Brighton, NY. The large old brick building at 1550 Clover Street was the main building. The students enrolled in the school came from Brighton and Rochester as well as other towns and cities in New York, other states and Canada. This highly-esteemed school enrolled the daughter of Thurlow Weed of Albany as the first boarding student.

An omnibus drawn by Indian ponies made regular trips between the school and Clinton House on Exchange Street for the day students. During the snowy days, the omnibus was put on runners. There are also records of the occasional use of a packet boat with three horses attached, which followed the Erie Canal from the basin near Exchange Street to a point near the school.

After the death of Miss Celestia Bloss, proprietor of the Clover Street Seminary in 1855, the school property was sold to the Reverend Thomas Drum, an Episcopal clergyman, who immediately opened a boarding and day school for boys. For a time it was highly successful; however after ten or fifteen years it became less popular and was ended by a sheriff's sale.

The seminary building has been a private home for more than a century and was for many years the family home of Joseph C. Wilson, founder of the Xerox Corporation.

Scope and Contents note

The collection is comprised of an oversize box which contains: Chronological Chart of the Clover Street Seminary by Celestia Bloss.

Creator

Clover Street Seminary (Monroe County, N.Y.) (Organization)
Bloss, C. A. (Celestia Angenette), 1812-1855 (Person)

Dates

Creation: 1845-1860's

Language of Materials

English

Extent

1 box(es)

Restrictions on Access

The Clover Street Seminary is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Restrictions on Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Preferred Citation

Chronological Chart of the Clover Street Seminary, Clover Street Seminary Collection, D.395, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester