# Claverack College

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{{Short description|Former Boarding School in Claverack, New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
300px|thumb|right|Claverack College campus, c. 1900 postcard
'''Claverack College''', also known as '''Washington Seminary''' and '''Hudson River Institute''', was a [coeducation](/source/coeducation)al [boarding school](/source/boarding_school) in [Claverack](/source/Claverack-Red_Mills%2C_New_York), New York, United States. Founded as a boys' academy, it operated from 1779 until 1902. It added a girls' school in the mid-19th century.

==History==
The school was founded as the Washington Seminary during the [American Revolution](/source/American_Revolution) in 1779 by Rev. John Gabriel Gebhard, the pastor of the [Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack](/source/Reformed_Dutch_Church_of_Claverack).  In 1830 the school was renamed Claverack Academy. In 1854 it became Claverack College (a quasi-military academy for boys). The associated Hudson River Institute was founded in the mid-19th century as a school for girls. The classes and dormitories were located in handsome stone buildings.

In 1890, student [Stephen Crane](/source/Stephen_Crane), who later became a prominent author, published his first article in the February 1890 Claverack College ''Vidette''. It was about explorer [Henry M. Stanley](/source/Henry_M._Stanley)'s quest in [Africa](/source/Africa) to find the English missionary [David Livingstone](/source/David_Livingstone).<ref>Stallman, R. W. (1968). ''Stephen Crane: A Biography''. New York: Braziller, p. 24</ref>

In the 1870s students from Claverack and Hudson River Institute often made marriage matches with each other. One such marriage was that of Edward George Johnson, son of a Manhattan businessman, and Eugenia Ramacciotti, daughter of [Francis Ramacciotti](/source/Francis_Ramacciotti) and his wife.

The school was for wealthy families: Tuition in 1875 was $400 per year, the equivalent of a year's pay for most people. Its {{convert|22|acre|ha|adj=on}} [campus](/source/campus) was just south of the Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack. Today [NY 9H](/source/New_York_State_Route_9H) passes along its west side.

Claverack College closed in 1902. After its closure the land was divided and sold, and the buildings razed. The [George Felpel House](/source/George_Felpel_House), located on the western half of the property, was built using some of the stones saved from the school's structures.<ref>[https://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/columbia/clav/clavcolhudsoninst.htm ''Claverack College and Hudson River Institute, Claverack, Columbia County, New York''] By Captain Franklin Ellis (1878)</ref><ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=9YlBAAAAYAAJ Gazetteer and business directory of Columbia County, N.Y. for 1871–2]'' (Printed at the Journal office, 1871) pp. 106–108</ref>

==Notable alumni and faculty==
[[Image:Craneinuniform.jpg|thumb|Cadet [Stephen Crane](/source/Stephen_Crane) in uniform at the age of 17]] 
* [Richard M. Blatchford](/source/Richard_M._Blatchford), U.S. Army general in World War I
* [John Clum](/source/John_Clum), US Indian Agent to the Apache, publisher of ''[The Tombstone Epitaph](/source/The_Tombstone_Epitaph)'', mayor of [Tombstone](/source/Tombstone%2C_Arizona), Arizona, and friend of [Virgil](/source/Virgil_Earp) and [Wyatt Earp](/source/Wyatt_Earp).
* [Stephen Crane](/source/Stephen_Crane), author (he said his time at Claverack was among the happiest years in his life)
* [Wm. Knight](/source/Wm._Knight), Wisconsin businessman and elected official
* [Killian Miller](/source/Killian_Miller), U.S. Representative
* [Robert H. Morris (mayor)](/source/Robert_H._Morris_(mayor)), mayor of New York City
* [Margaret Sanger](/source/Margaret_Sanger), women's rights advocate
* [Martin Van Buren](/source/Martin_Van_Buren), 8th U.S. President
* General [John P. Van Ness](/source/John_P._Van_Ness), U.S. Representative
* [William P. Van Ness](/source/William_P._Van_Ness), U.S. District Judge
* [Cornelius P. Van Ness](/source/Cornelius_P._Van_Ness), Governor of Vermont
* General [Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer](/source/Jacob_Rutsen_Van_Rensselaer), New York Secretary of State
* [Ada Josephine Todd](/source/Ada_Josephine_Todd) (1858–1904), author and educator
* [Alexander Russell Webb](/source/Alexander_Russell_Webb), U.S. Ambassador to Philippines, early American Muslim
* [William J. Leggett](/source/William_J._Leggett), Captain of the [Rutgers](/source/1869_Rutgers_Queensmen_football_team) team in the [first](/source/1869_Princeton_Tigers_football_team) [College football](/source/College_football) game. 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=9YlBAAAAYAAJ ''Gazetteer and business directory of Columbia County, N.Y. for 1871-2''] (Printed at the Journal office, 1871), pg. 106-108

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Category:Defunct schools in New York (state)
Category:Boarding schools in New York (state)
Category:Organizations established in 1779
Category:1902 disestablishments in New York (state)
Category:Claverack, New York
Category:1779 establishments in New York (state)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Claverack College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claverack_College) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claverack_College?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.