The Westover School, often referred to simply as "Westover," is an independent
college-preparatory
A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher educatio ...
day and
boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...
for girls. Located in
Middlebury, Connecticut, United States, the school offers grades 9–12.
Early History
Mary Hillard and the founding of Westover
Westover School was founded in 1909 by
Mary Robbins Hillard “to provide young women with a liberal education in a community which would contribute to the development of their character, independence and sense of responsibility.” The Main Building and Campus was designed by
Theodate Pope Riddle.
The daughter of a clergyman, Mary Robbins Hillard was educated at the
Collegiate School for Young Ladies in
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in ...
, and at
Abbot Academy
Abbot Academy (also known as Abbot Female Seminary and AA) was an independent boarding preparatory school for women boarding and day students in grades 9–12 from 1828 to 1973. Located in Andover, Massachusetts, Abbot Academy was notable as one ...
. She taught at
Miss Porter’s School
Miss Porter's School (MPS) is an elite American private college preparatory school for girls founded in 1843, and located in Farmington, Connecticut. The school draws students from 21 states, 31 countries (with dual-citizenship and/or residence) ...
for six years, where she met her lifelong friend,
Theodate Pope Riddle
Theodate Pope Riddle (February 2, 1867 – August 30, 1946) was an American architect and philanthropist. She was one of the first American women architects and a survivor of the sinking of the RMS ''Lusitania''.
Life
Born Effie Brooks Pope ...
. She became Assistant Headmistress of the Collegiate School, and then Headmistress when it became St. Margaret’s.
Because of Miss Hillard’s growing feeling that St. Margaret’s was becoming increasingly hemmed in by the growth of Waterbury, she and her friend Theodate began to plan a new school, west and over the hills from St. Margaret’s. The St. Margaret’s trustees subscribed to the project, and work was begun in 1908. In place of an old apple orchard, a great square building surrounding an open quadrangle was built. The first class of students, which included all of the former boarders at St. Margaret’s, arrived at the School in 1909. A number of the leading families in the area maintained their interest in Westover through the years.
''"The School Estate consists of homestead, meadow, and woodland. In the general character of the building the endeavor has been to combine appropriateness with beauty, so that the charm and dignity of the academic and domestic atmosphere shall be an unconscious but elevating influence endearing the place to all coming under its associations." - From Westover's first catalogue''
Miss Hillard created many of the ongoing Westover traditions: The West and Over teams, the apple trees in the Quadrangle, the Germans, the Lantern as the School’s symbol, the Lantern Ceremony, Dorcas, and other elements which have been woven into the fabric of Westover life over the years.
''“Be quiet and let your spirit fill the buildings." - Theodate Pope Riddle to Mary Robbins Hillard''
Notable alumni
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Edith Cummings
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Miriam DeCosta-Willis
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Ginevra King (expelled)
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Margaret Bush Clement
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Edith Gwynne Read
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Isabel Rockefeller
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Alice Tully
Alice Bigelow Tully (September 14, 1902 – December 10, 1993) was an American singer of opera and recital, music promoter, patron of the arts and philanthropist from New York. She was a second cousin of the American actress Katharine Hepburn. ...
References
External links
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{{authority control
Preparatory schools in Connecticut
Boarding schools in Connecticut
Private high schools in Connecticut
Girls' schools in Connecticut
Educational institutions established in 1909
Schools in New Haven County, Connecticut
Middlebury, Connecticut
1909 establishments in Connecticut