Almost a Hospital

I've continued to research the Livingston family, as they have a long, intricate history within the US. Unfortunately, outside of Locust Grove and the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery, it seems that a good bit of driving would be necessary to visit any remaining locations pertaining to the "Lords of the Livingston Manor", as they were so deemed when settling here in America. Some day, I'll venture further out (The next closest location I could visit is Clermont in Germantown, NY), but for now, I'm doing my best to keep trips within twenty minutes, to ensure my adventures don't get in the way of seeing my family.

Almost a Hospital

I changed venues and decided upon Vassar College this morning. I researched the school history to get my bearings and began to learn of Matthew Vassar, a self-taught gentleman who made a fortune as a brewer. I learned that as he advanced in years, he wished to leave a legacy behind. He never married, and had no heirs to leave his fortune, and thus set out to produce a major hospital for Poughkeepsie. A friend (Milo P. Jewett), however, dissuaded him and convinced him to fund a college for women, of the same caliber as Harvard or Yale (Ref - http://admissions.vassar.edu/about/history.html). He did so in 1861, attempting what the papers reported as “Matthew’s Folly". One hundred fifty years later, the school is still educating, with an average student body just south of 2500 students. A final interesting fact is that Samual F.B. Morse (I looked into him during my post - Once a Farm) was one of the first trustees of Vassar College (Ref - http://www.vassar.edu/on_matthew.html).


Matthew Vassar


The compass is ENORMOUS! I confess I did get lost trying to navigate the place, and was forced to consult Google Maps on my iPhone to get a fix on where I was and where I had parked. Ten minutes later, I did find my ride and made good my escape.





To see the full adventure, please see my Flickr feed - https://www.flickr.com/photos/129003675@N04/
Until the next, I SO appreciate your company in sharing these adventures!

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