Greens Farms Academy
Greens Farms Academy (GFA) is a PreK-12 independent preparatory co-educational day school in the Greens Farms section of Westport, Connecticut, drawing 715 students from numerous towns across Fairfield County. Greens Farms Academy is located on a 42-acre campus overlooking the Long Island Sound, a salt marsh and an Audubon woodland.
| Greens Farms Academy GFA | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
35 Beachside Avenue, Westport, CT , Connecticut 06880 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41°07′07″N 73°18′51″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private Preparatory Coeducational Secondary |
| Motto | Quisque Pro Omnibus ("each for all") |
| Established | 1925 |
| CEEB code | 070915 |
| Head of school | Bob Whelan |
| Grades | PreK–12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 715 |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Red and blue |
| Mascot | Dragons |
| Nickname | "GFA" |
| Website | www |
Greens Farms Academy is located less than five minutes walking distance away from the Metro North train station.
History
Founded in 1925 as The Bolton School in 1925 by Mrs. Mary E.E. Bolton and her sister, Miss Katherine Laycock. The founders’ main goal was to educate Bolton’s 2 daughters. At the end of the first year, there was 14 girls enrolled in the all woman's preparatory school.[1] The name was then changed to the Kathleen Laycock Country Day School as the sisters moved the school to a 26 acre campus, sold to them by the Bedford/Vanderbilt family. In 1969, the trustees voted to admit males. Believing that it would be difficult to attract male students to “The Kathleen Laycock Country Day”, the school was renamed to Greens Farms Academy[2] and in September 1970, 23 young men joined 300 young women at the school.
Facilities
Located on a 44 acre campus, the school borders three ecosystems: the salt marsh, Audubon woodland, and the Long Island Sound. The main building is a Gilded Age mansion designed by architect Harrie T. Lindberg, the Stamford White protegé who was called “the American Lutyens”.[3]
The Greens Farms MetroNorth train station is located roughly 370 steps from the campus.
Recent construction includes a Performing Arts Center, including a state-of-the-art theatre, a scene/STEAM shop, and a Global Studies Center—all topped by solar panels and a living roof. There is also a squash center, a new wrestling gym, and a new fitness center.
References
- "Green's Farms Academy | 06880". 06880danwoog.com. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- "50 Years of "GFA": Coeducation". www.gfacademy.org. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
- "Robert Thurlow Vanderbilt". Boats Against the Current. 2020-05-10. Retrieved 2022-11-26.