Manuscript Database - Subject: Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Carson, Albana C. Composition, 1851. A.M.S., 8 pp.

Part of the 1851 examination at the Science Hill Academy, Shelbyville, Ky., included a composition by Albana C. Carson, titled "Imper-fections of Female Education". It discusses inadequacies of existing schools for girls in 1851 and "frivolities" offered female pupils. Accompanied by typewritten transcript.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Lucy. Letter to Miss Margaret Briscoe, 16 December 1898. 2 items.

Lucy writes on mourning stationery to Margaret Briscoe at Science Hill Female Academy in Shelbyville, Kentucky encouraging her to return home to Morganfield, Ky. She notes that "no one thinks you are going to return"

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Miller family. Papers, 1833-1848. 9 items.

Letter from Warrick N. Miller to his sister, Louisiana, Nov. 26, 1838, asking her to tell him about her school, Mrs. Tevis's in Shelbyville.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Corlis-Respess family. Papers, 1698-1984. 6 cu. ft.

Correspondence includes Susan C. R. Respess 30 Sept. 1848 letter discussing her plans for vacation; her 18 Nov. 1848 letter recounting her daily routine and reading; Julia A. Tevis' 19 May 1849 letter urging Susan C. R. Respess not to worry over the tuition bill; Georgie Corlis' 25 May 1855 letter about her teachers and schoolmates; and her 3 Nov. 1855 letter discussing routine matters.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Corlis-Respess family. Papers, 1754-1934. 2.66 cu. ft.

In a letter of 28 & 29 Oct. 1848 Susan Respess writes home from Science Hill begging to come home for Christmas holiday. Letters of 17 March and 15 Nov. 1855 are written by Gorgie Corlis from Science Hill.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Jacob, John Jeremiah, 1778-1852. Papers, 1806-1851. 3.33 cu. ft.

In the John Jeremiah Jacob portion of this collection, Julia Tevis writes on 22 February 1828 from Shelbyville, Kentucky to J. J. Jacobs in Louisville, Kentucky, requesting him to help clear the reputation of the school (Science Hill Female Academy) in the matter of "compelling" students to become Methodists.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Poynter, Clara Martin, 1846-1937. To J. and H. Poynter, Shelbyville, Ky. Woodford County, Ky., 2 August 1894. ALS, 4pp.

She relates that Drs. Irvine and Pope and the Pres. from Bardstown are canvassing for funds for a school in possibly in Simpsonville. They want to know if Mr. Poynter can take such rates and he says he cannot.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Poynter family. Papers, 1895-1910.

Correspondence throughout the collection relates news about the Shelbyville, KY girls school. Letters mention teachers, students, recruiting efforts, holidays, and school recitals. Letters of 29 Oct. 1899 and 15 Feb. 1900 note Science Hill's Jubilee Celebration while those of 3 Jan. 1908 and 12 Jan. 1908 discuss a small pox scare.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Stuart, David Todd, b. 1812. Diary, 1854. 1 item.

Diary of D.T. Stuart, head of Stuart's Female College in Shelbyville, Kentucky and a Presbyterian minister. Throughout the diary Stuart often refers to Science Hill and the Tevis family who operated it On 20 June 1854 Stuart describes attending the examination of Science Hill students. He writes that they were "not superior to our young ladies." He also questioned Tevis's use of theatrical exhibitions "which may lead them to temptation," and "cultivate a low and vicious taste in the community in regards to female education."

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Taylor-Hay family. Papers, 1783-1991. 42 cu. ft.

There are letters from several members of the Taylor and Hay families that attended Science Hill. There is an 1847 letter from Mary McKee from the school as the earliest letter. The bulk of the letters are from Eugenia Hay who attended the school in the late 1920s.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Tevis, Julia A. (Julia Ann), 1799-1880. Papers, 1841-1884. 0.33 cu. ft.

A small collection of personal and professional papers related to Julia Tevis and her work running Science Hill Female Academy in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Folder 1 includes several letters to Julia Tevis from students or parents/guardians of students/prospective students. In a March 25, 1850, letter, a woman writes in the hopes that her sister may be enrolled at Science Hill: “I am quite anxious to have my sister in school…We were so unfortunate as to lose our kind and good mother last summer…but I feel assured that under your influence and protection she will receive religious and intellectual impressions.” In an August 27, 1870, letter, a woman in Texas writes, “Ma is anxious to send you her two little orphan granddaughters, Leila and Lulu Power aged thirteen and eleven years…I have two sons eight and ten years of age and a little girl five. I would like to put the three with you if you can take little boys. I am afraid they will learn all kinds of bad habits if I put them in a boys college.” In an August 29, 1871, letter, Science Hill student Nellie Tracy writes, “Before many days I shall be en route to dear old ‘Science Hill’…My darling Papa and Mama are thankful and happy to think you take such an interest in their darling bad daughter, and feel that in sending me to you, they are not giving or sending me to some strange place, but more like I was going among my own relations.” Nellie also mentions that upon her return she would like to room with a specific girl and have her clothes washed by a specific staffer. In a June 30, 1872, letter, a mother of a Science Hill student writes from New York. Folder 5 contains Science Hill-related publications, including a pamphlet from the 1884 memorial service for Julia Tevis.

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Poynter family. Added Papers, 1887-1992. 1 cu. ft.

This collection consists of correspondence and papers related to the Poynter family of Shelbyville, Kentucky. The Poynter family had strong ties to Science Hill Female Academy, and four of the Poynters prominently featured in this collection worked at the school. Wiley Taul Poynter and his wife Clara Martin Poynter bought Science Hill from Julia Tevis in 1879. They both taught at the school, and their daughters Juliet and Harriet attended Science Hill for their primary and high school education. Wiley served as principal until his death in 1896, whereupon Clara took over as principal until her death in 1937. Their daughter Juliet served as principal after her mother and their other daughter Harriet taught music there until its closure in 1939. The correspondence in this collection contains many mentions of events, news, and day-to-day goings-on at Science Hill during the Poynters’ ownership, from 1879 to 1939. Particular mentions of work at the school can be found in letters dated: August 21, 1894, November 18, 1903, November 24, 1903, December 25, 1903, January 1, 1904, January 7, 1904, March 26, 1904, March 28, 1904, and February 16, 1905. Other material related to Science Hill includes report cards for Juliet and Harriet (Folder 35), student writing assignments by Juliet and Harriet (Folder 36), a Junior Class Excursion Ticket signed by Clara dated 1900 (Folder 37), Science Hill commencement material dated 1899-1925 (Folder 38), miscellaneous school pamphlets and publications dated 1901-1936 (Folder 39), indentures for the Science Hill school property and/or surrounding lands dated 1879 and 1887 (Folder 40), and clippings sharing news about Science Hill events and history (Folder 45).

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Shelby County Public Library. Collection on Science Hill Female Academy, 1852-2004. 0.33 cu. ft.

This collection contains mostly material from after Science Hill Female Academy’s closure in 1939, including pamphlets and correspondence from events, histories of the school and its leading families, and information about the school’s later transformation into the Wakefield-Scearce Gallery. Material from before 1939 includes a souvenir album awarded to a Science Hill student in 1852 (Folder 2) and material from the 1925 Science Hill centennial celebration (Folder 3).

Science Hill Female Academy (Shelbyville, Ky.)

Bullitt Family Papers - Oxmoor Collection, 1683-2003. 164 cu.ft.

Among Benjamin Logan's papers is a composition titled Pioneer Days in Shelby County, which gave a history of Shelby County and mentioned Science Hill Female Academy. (518) In the 5 July 1888 issue of The Shelby Sentinel (Shelbyville, Ky.) there were advertisements for Stuart's Female College, Scearce's Academy for boys, and for Science Hill with pictures of each of the institutions.(3280 ovsz)