Amite Female Seminary | |
![]() A surviving building from the school | |
Location | MS 569, Liberty, Mississippi |
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Coordinates | 31°09′37″N 90°48′20″W / 31.16028°N 90.80556°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1853 |
Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal, Adamesque |
NRHP reference No. | 80002200[1] |
Added to NRHP | April 17, 1980 |
The Amite Female Seminary was a seminary in Liberty, Mississippi in Amite County. One building survives and is a Mississippi Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The seminary, founded in 1853, was burned by Union troops in 1863 but its music building survived[2] and is now a museum.[3] Amite Female Seminary was founded in 1853 by Rev. Milton S. Shirk.[4] It taught music, literature, history, mathematics, "modern" languages, philosophy, science and physical education. It closed during the American Civil War and burned.[5] Its board was appointed by the Mississippi Baptist Association.[6]
William Cecil Duncan spoke at the school July 7, 1858.[7] American journalist and poet Pearl Rivers attended the school.[8]
The historic integrity of the building was reduced somewhat by repairs done during 1979, but it was still accepted for listing on the National Register in 1980.[3][9]
Its National Register nomination stated:
The building retains its two major architectural features--the Greek Revival double gallery on the front facade and the stepped-gable roof parapet on the rear elevation. The stepped gable is an especially interesting Adamesque detail associated also with two residences in Amite County constructed in the same 10-year period: the Talbert-Cassels House and the Winston Wilkinson House.[9]
Subsequently to that writing, those two houses were also National Register-listed, the former in 1980 and the latter in 1984.[1]