Hopewell Academy (Hopewell, New Jersey)
Hopewell Academy was a Baptist Latin grammar preparatory school in Hopewell, New Jersey that operated between 1756 and 1767. The academy is noted as the first Baptist educational establishment in the American Colonies. The school was the forerunner of Brown University, with Hopewell alumni James Manning and Hezekiah Smith both playing major roles in the establishment and early administration of the college.[1][2]
| Hopewell Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
Hopewell, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| Coordinates | 40.38838°N 74.76255°W |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Established | 1756 |
| Closed | 1767 |
History
In 1756, Reverend Isaac Eaton founded Hopewell Academy in Hopewell, Province of New Jersey "for the education of youth for the ministry."[3] The academy was one of a number established on the model pioneered by the Presbyterian Log College in the Province of Pennsylvania.[4]
The academy was financed by the Philadelphia Baptist Association and the Charleston Baptist Association, who appointed trustees to oversee its affairs[3][5]
The school operated out of a parsonage house at 19 W. Broad St. The c. 1750 structure was remodeled in the late 19th century and further modernized in the 20th century.[6] The school closed in 1767.
Relationship with Brown University
Two alumni of the school played major role in the establishment early administration of Brown University. Minister Hezekiah Smith was an early supporter of the university while James Manning served as the college's first president.[7][8][2]
Hopewell Academy's relationship with Brown is analogous to that of the Log College with Princeton University.[4]
Gallery
An engraving of the academy building
The parsonage house and academy building in 1937
A historical marker at the site of the academy
Alumni
- Hezekiah Smith, early supporter of Brown University
- James Manning (1738–1791), first president of Brown University, minister of the First Baptist Church in America
References
- "It's in New Jersey, but It Screams Vermont". New York Times. November 18, 2007. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Hopewell Academy". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- Guild, Reuben Aldridge (1867). History of Brown University: With Illustrative Documents. Providence Press Company, printers. p. 4.
- Maxson, Charles Hartshorn (1920). The Great Awakening in the Middle Colonies. P. Smith. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-7222-2129-7.
- Cathcart, William (1883). The Baptist Encyclopaedia: A Dictionary of the Doctrines, Ordinances ... of the General History of the Baptist Denomination in All Lands, with Numerous Biographical Sketches...& a Supplement. L. H. Everts. p. 677.
- "Hopewell Borough Architecture Walking Tour" (PDF). Hopewell Borough Historic Preservation Commission. 2019.
- "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Smith, Hezekiah". brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- "Encyclopedia Brunoniana | Manning, James". brown.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-04.