Goddard Seminary, Barre Vermont

At the annual session of the Vermont State Convention of Universalists in Montpelier, 1863, a committee was appointed to obtain a charter for a state denominational school of the highest grade below that of college, and the charter was obtained of the Legislature the same fall, under title of Green Mountain Central Institute; name changed November 1870, to Goddard Seminary.

The charter has the right to hold personal and real estate to the amount of $100,000. The charter obtained, Prof. Shipman, now of Tufts College, took the field to raise money till September 1864; raised $15,000; increased afterwards by Rev. J. J. Lewis, Rev. S. W. Squire and others, to about $50,000, and $10,000 was given by the late Thomas A. Goddard, of Boston. Fall of 1864, location was referred to committee: Rev. A. A. Miner, D. D., Boston, Hon. E. Trask, Springfield, Massachusetts, Rev. G. W. Bailey, Lebanon, New Hampshire. Springfield, So. Woodstock, Bethel, Northfield and East Montpelier competed for the institution. It is said through influence of Judge Tilden, largely, Barre location won, a 9½ acre lot of land on an elevated plain, a little to the north of Barre village, commanding a wide and beautiful prospect. The building committee was Hon. Heman Carpenter, L. F. Aldrich, Charles Templeton; T. W. Silloway, of Boston, architect. Judge Carpenter was a devoted friend to the enterprise, and Messrs. Aldrich and Templeton gave the greater part of their time for 3 years without remuneration. The building was completed in about 4 years. 160 ft. length; central part, 52 feet square; wings, 53½ feet length by 43 width; 9 feet back from central front; foundation bed, coarse, hard gravel; walls, split granite, laid in mortar upward to basement windows; height, 5 stories; body of edifice, hard-burnt bricks, best quality; material taken out of the hill on which the building stands; manufactured on the spot at cost of about 7,000; at top of basement story, belt 9 inches width, of hewn granite, with fine cut work 4 inches deep extending completely around the building; window-sills and edifice trimmings, all of granite; over central part, two towers, extending 45 feet above the main building; but the charm of all, is the scenery amid which it is located. The sweep of view is remarkably fine the site commands. It was opened for instruction February 1870, L. L. Burington, A. M., first principal, for 2½ years, now principal of Dean Academy, Massachusetts. F. M. Harris was the second principal, l½ years, now principal of Somerville, Massachusetts, High School.

Henry Priest, the third and present principal, has now presided over the institution 7 years. The whole number of students to 1881, 831; graduates, 132; average attendance, 275. Rev. C. H. Eaton, class of '70, first class of Goddard Seminary, is pastor of the Church of Divine Paternity, in place of the late E. H. Chapin, New York.

Both the Academy and Seminary at Barre have always been open to the education of both sexes, and have always maintained an honorable and high position in the State as educational institutions. The Seminary has about $80,000 invested in school property; fund of $10,000 just completed, June, 1881.

Present Board of Teachers

Number of trustees, 1880

Barre Vermont | Vermont AHGP

Source: The History of Washington County, Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Collated and published by, Abby Maria Hemenway, Montpelier, Vermont, 1882.