Moses Brown School
Encyclopedia
Moses Brown School is a Quaker school located in Providence, Rhode Island
, founded by Moses Brown
, a Quaker abolitionist, in 1784. It is one of the oldest preparatory school
s in the country.
(1738–1836) was a member of the Brown family, a powerful mercantile family of New England
. Later on in his life, Moses converted to the Religious Society of Friends
and went on to become a pioneering abolitionist while starting the Moses Brown School.
, was part of an effort within Quakerdom to promote their faith to the next generation, but Brown also had a vision of ensuring that when they reached adulthood, these young Friends would be able to make a living.
When the school opened in 1784, it was located at Portsmouth Friends Meeting House in Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island
, which was the administrative center for Yearly Meeting, and which had historically been heavily Quaker. However, by the 1780s, it was an isolated location, and in the years after the American Revolution
, it was difficult to recruit both students and teachers. Just four years later, the Yearly Meeting decided to close the school "for one year", and it closed its doors in June 1788. The school remained closed for over three decades.
During those years, Moses Brown worked to restart the school, and as treasurer
of the school fund, was able to convince the Yearly Meeting to reopen the school – in part by donating a portion of his farm located in Providence, Rhode Island
for the school to be built on.
The school reopened in 1819 in Providence under the name "The New England Yearly Meeting Boarding School." Moses Brown then joined with his son, Obadiah, and his son-in-law, William Almy, to pay for the construction of the first building—which today still serves as the main building of the school. Obadiah Brown also left $100,000 in his will to the school—a sum unheard of at the time for a school endowment
or gift. In 1904 the school was renamed "Moses Brown School" to honor its benefactor and advocate.
As the Quakers were early advocates of equality of the sexes, Moses Brown School was a coeducational school. However, in 1926, it became a boys-only school as was the fashion in U.S. society at the time. As attitudes again became more liberal, it again became coed in 1976. To this day, administrators and faculty hired by the school are overwhelmingly liberal, while students are encouraged to adopt similar opinions.
Currently, the school is owned by New England Yearly Meeting, but it has its own Board of Overseers, and operates independently of the yearly meeting. It has been examining the possibility of changing its specific affiliation while still retaining its identity as a Quaker school.
East Side
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, founded by Moses Brown
Moses Brown
Moses Brown was a co-founder of Brown University and a New England abolitionist and industrialist, who funded the design and construction of some of the first factory houses for spinning machines during the American industrial revolution, including Slater Mill.-Early life:Brown was the son of...
, a Quaker abolitionist, in 1784. It is one of the oldest preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
s in the country.
Founder
Moses BrownMoses Brown
Moses Brown was a co-founder of Brown University and a New England abolitionist and industrialist, who funded the design and construction of some of the first factory houses for spinning machines during the American industrial revolution, including Slater Mill.-Early life:Brown was the son of...
(1738–1836) was a member of the Brown family, a powerful mercantile family of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Later on in his life, Moses converted to the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
and went on to become a pioneering abolitionist while starting the Moses Brown School.
History
In 1777 a committee of New England Yearly Meeting took up the idea for a school to educate young Quakers in New England. The committee, which included Moses BrownMoses Brown
Moses Brown was a co-founder of Brown University and a New England abolitionist and industrialist, who funded the design and construction of some of the first factory houses for spinning machines during the American industrial revolution, including Slater Mill.-Early life:Brown was the son of...
, was part of an effort within Quakerdom to promote their faith to the next generation, but Brown also had a vision of ensuring that when they reached adulthood, these young Friends would be able to make a living.
When the school opened in 1784, it was located at Portsmouth Friends Meeting House in Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
, which was the administrative center for Yearly Meeting, and which had historically been heavily Quaker. However, by the 1780s, it was an isolated location, and in the years after the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, it was difficult to recruit both students and teachers. Just four years later, the Yearly Meeting decided to close the school "for one year", and it closed its doors in June 1788. The school remained closed for over three decades.
During those years, Moses Brown worked to restart the school, and as treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the school fund, was able to convince the Yearly Meeting to reopen the school – in part by donating a portion of his farm located in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
for the school to be built on.
The school reopened in 1819 in Providence under the name "The New England Yearly Meeting Boarding School." Moses Brown then joined with his son, Obadiah, and his son-in-law, William Almy, to pay for the construction of the first building—which today still serves as the main building of the school. Obadiah Brown also left $100,000 in his will to the school—a sum unheard of at the time for a school endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
or gift. In 1904 the school was renamed "Moses Brown School" to honor its benefactor and advocate.
As the Quakers were early advocates of equality of the sexes, Moses Brown School was a coeducational school. However, in 1926, it became a boys-only school as was the fashion in U.S. society at the time. As attitudes again became more liberal, it again became coed in 1976. To this day, administrators and faculty hired by the school are overwhelmingly liberal, while students are encouraged to adopt similar opinions.
Currently, the school is owned by New England Yearly Meeting, but it has its own Board of Overseers, and operates independently of the yearly meeting. It has been examining the possibility of changing its specific affiliation while still retaining its identity as a Quaker school.
Facilities
on Providence'sProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
East Side
- Collis Science Center- Upper School science complex on the ground floor of Friends Hall. These facilities provide two lab/classrooms each for biology, physics, and chemistry, lab prep rooms, a faculty resource room, and smart boards, wireless tablets, and Internet access.
- Dwares Family Student Center- Provides upper school students with areas for quiet study, student leadership meetings, clubs, activities, and informal gatherings with friends and faculty.
- Krause Gallery- Showcasing works of artists in residence as well as visiting artists.
- Hoffman House and Lubrano Science Classroom- These middle school facilities house three science labs, classrooms, breakout spaces, meeting areas, and faculty/advisor offices.
- Fischer Ricci Family Instrumental Music Center- Provides ensemble room and practice suites.
- Waughtel-Howe Field House- indoor track, basketball courts, Physical Therapy center, weight and training room, men's and women's locker rooms, coaches' offices, and the Athletic Hall of Fame.
- Campanella Field- Campanella Field was converted to a FieldTurfFieldTurfFieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
artificial turf field during the winter and spring of 2006 to 2007. This is the same FieldTurf that numerous professional teams play on. It is home to the Football, Field Hockey, Girls and Boys Lacrosse and Boys and Girls Soccer teams at both the Upper and Middle School level. The FieldTurf replaced AstroTurfAstroTurfAstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
which was first installed in 1965. Moses Brown was the very first athletic facility in the United States to install AstroTurf, then known as Chemgrass. It was not referred to as AstroTurf until a year later in 1966 when it was installed in the Houston Astro-Dome. - Milot Field- Athletic fields belonging to Moses Brown School in Rehoboth, MassachusettsRehoboth, MassachusettsRehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence, Rhode Island