Alexander Twilight
Encyclopedia
Alexander Lucius Twilight (September 26, 1795 – June 19, 1857), born free in Vermont
, was the first black person known to have earned a bachelor's degree from an American college or university upon graduating Middlebury College
in 1823. An educator, minister and politician, he was licensed as a Congregational preacher, and worked in ministry and education all his career. In 1829 Twilight became principal of the Orleans County
Grammar School. There he designed and built Athenian Hall, the first granite public building in the state. In 1836 he was the first African American elected to public office as a state legislator, serving in the Vermont General Assembly
.
His house and Athenian Hall are included in the Brownington Village Historic District
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP).
. His father Ichabod Twilight was free, of mixed-race, and a Revolutionary War veteran. His mother Mary, also free, was described as white or light-skinned.
Twilight worked for a neighboring farmer in Corinth, starting around 1803 when he was 8. For the next 12 years he read, studied, and learned mathematics while working in various farm labor positions.
He enrolled in Randolph
’s Orange County Grammar School in 1815 at the age of 20. From 1815 to 1821, he completed all secondary school courses as well as the first two years of a college level curriculum.
He then attended Middlebury College
in 1821, where he graduated in 1823. His newly acquired baccalaureate degree
made him the first African American to receive a degree from an American university, although this fact was not made widely known until Amherst College claimed to have awarded its first bachelor's degree to an African American to Edward Jones
in 1826.
and served several Congregational churches. His career was in ministry and education, fields which were considered closely allied at the time. His first job was teaching in Peru
, New York
.
While continuing to teach, Twilight studied theology, the church and the ministry. He occasionally led worship services and preached. The Champlain Presbytery of Plattsburgh licensed him to preach.
He taught for four years in Peru, then moved to Vergennes, Vermont
in 1828 to teach during the week and hold services on weekends in Waltham
and Ferrisburg.
In 1829 Twilight was hired as principal of the Orleans County, Vermont
Grammar School in Brownington
, the only secondary school in a two-county area. He also served as minister of the Congregational Church, building a house for his family shortly after arrival, which still stands.
Wanting to ensure a place for students from out of town, from 1834-1836 Twilight designed, raised funds for, and had built a massive four-story granite building which he called Athenian Hall. The first granite public building in Vermont, it served as a dormitory for the co-educational school, also known as the Brownington Academy. Both buildings are today part of a recognized historic district
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
In 1836, Twilight was elected to the Vermont General Assembly
, becoming the first African American to be elected to a state legislature.
He left his job as headmaster in 1847.
After his death on June 19, 1857, Twilight was buried in the churchyard in Brownington.
, There Twilight, 31, married Mercy Ladd Merrill in 1826. She was about 21 or 22.
After they came to Brownington and built a house, they used the second floor to house students who needed a place to board for school.
Howard Frank Mosher, Vermont Life Magazine, Autumn, 1996:
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, was the first black person known to have earned a bachelor's degree from an American college or university upon graduating Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in 1823. An educator, minister and politician, he was licensed as a Congregational preacher, and worked in ministry and education all his career. In 1829 Twilight became principal of the Orleans County
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the county...
Grammar School. There he designed and built Athenian Hall, the first granite public building in the state. In 1836 he was the first African American elected to public office as a state legislator, serving in the Vermont General Assembly
Vermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself...
.
His house and Athenian Hall are included in the Brownington Village Historic District
Brownington Village Historic District
The Brownington Village Historic District is a historic site in Brownington, Vermont, United States. It is located near the intersection of Hinman and Brownington Center Roads. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1973...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP).
Early life and education
Alexander Lucius Twilight was born September 26, 1795 at Corinth, VermontCorinth, Vermont
Corinth is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,461 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 48.5 square miles , of which 48.5 square miles is land and 0.04 square mile is water...
. His father Ichabod Twilight was free, of mixed-race, and a Revolutionary War veteran. His mother Mary, also free, was described as white or light-skinned.
Twilight worked for a neighboring farmer in Corinth, starting around 1803 when he was 8. For the next 12 years he read, studied, and learned mathematics while working in various farm labor positions.
He enrolled in Randolph
Randolph, Vermont
Randolph is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,853 at the 2000 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that surround it....
’s Orange County Grammar School in 1815 at the age of 20. From 1815 to 1821, he completed all secondary school courses as well as the first two years of a college level curriculum.
He then attended Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in 1821, where he graduated in 1823. His newly acquired baccalaureate degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
made him the first African American to receive a degree from an American university, although this fact was not made widely known until Amherst College claimed to have awarded its first bachelor's degree to an African American to Edward Jones
Edward Jones
Edward, Eddie, or Ed Jones is the name of:Finance* Edward Jones , co-founder of Dow Jones & Company* Edward D. Jones , investment banker** Edward Jones Investments, company founded by Edward D. Jones...
in 1826.
Career
Twilight studied for the ministry with the Congregational ChurchCongregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
and served several Congregational churches. His career was in ministry and education, fields which were considered closely allied at the time. His first job was teaching in Peru
Peru, New York
Peru is a town in Clinton County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 6,998 at the 2010 census. The town was named Peru because its mountainous nature suggested that country....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
While continuing to teach, Twilight studied theology, the church and the ministry. He occasionally led worship services and preached. The Champlain Presbytery of Plattsburgh licensed him to preach.
He taught for four years in Peru, then moved to Vergennes, Vermont
Vergennes, Vermont
Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, in the United States. Bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh, Panton and Waltham, as of the 2000 census the city population was 2,741. It is the smallest of Vermont's nine cities in terms of population...
in 1828 to teach during the week and hold services on weekends in Waltham
Waltham, Vermont
Waltham is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 479 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.9 square miles , of which 8.7 square miles is land and 0.2 square mile is...
and Ferrisburg.
In 1829 Twilight was hired as principal of the Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the county...
Grammar School in Brownington
Brownington, Vermont
Brownington is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 885 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.4 square miles , of which 28.3 square miles is land and 0.1 square mile is...
, the only secondary school in a two-county area. He also served as minister of the Congregational Church, building a house for his family shortly after arrival, which still stands.
Wanting to ensure a place for students from out of town, from 1834-1836 Twilight designed, raised funds for, and had built a massive four-story granite building which he called Athenian Hall. The first granite public building in Vermont, it served as a dormitory for the co-educational school, also known as the Brownington Academy. Both buildings are today part of a recognized historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
In 1836, Twilight was elected to the Vermont General Assembly
Vermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself...
, becoming the first African American to be elected to a state legislature.
He left his job as headmaster in 1847.
After his death on June 19, 1857, Twilight was buried in the churchyard in Brownington.
Marriage and family
From 1824 to 1828, Twilight worked as a teacher in Peru, New YorkPeru, New York
Peru is a town in Clinton County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 6,998 at the 2010 census. The town was named Peru because its mountainous nature suggested that country....
, There Twilight, 31, married Mercy Ladd Merrill in 1826. She was about 21 or 22.
After they came to Brownington and built a house, they used the second floor to house students who needed a place to board for school.
Legacy and honors
- Alexander Twilight House (1830), still stands across the street from the hall, and serves as headquarters for the Orleans County Historical Society. It is within the Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP).
- Athenian Hall (1834–36) is now operated by the Orleans County Historical Society as the Old Stone House MuseumOld Stone House MuseumThe Old Stone House Museum, a student dormitory once known as Athenian Hall, is a museum run by the Orleans County Historical Society in Brownington, Vermont. The building is a part of the Brownington Village Historic District, a district of ten historic buildings added to the National Register of...
, and anchors the Historic District of Brownington. It was the first granite public building in Vermont.
Howard Frank Mosher, Vermont Life Magazine, Autumn, 1996:
"I like the way the Stone House still looms up on that hilltop, where the wind blows all the time. There it sits, unshaken and monolithic, as I write this sentence and as you read it, every bit as astonishing today as the day it was completed. What a tribute to the faith of its creator, the Reverend Alexander Twilight: scholar, husband, teacher, preacher, legislator, father-away-from-home to nearly 3,000 boys and girls, an African American and a Vermonter of great vision, whose remains today lie buried in the church-yard just up the maple-lined dirt road from his granite school, in what surely was, and still is, one of the last best places anywhere."
- The Alexander Twilight Auditorium at Lyndon State CollegeLyndon State CollegeLyndon State College is a public liberal arts college located at Lyndon Center in Lyndon, Caledonia County in the U.S. state of Vermont. In addition to a range of Bachelor's Degree programs, the college offers a Master's Degree program in Education...
is named in Twilight's memory.
- Alexander Twilight Hall at Middlebury College was named in Twilight's memory.
Books
- Hahan, Michael T. Alexander Twilight, Vermont's African American Pioneer. The New England Press, Inc.: 1998. ISBN 1-881535-31-2.