Westover School
Address
Map
1237 Whittemore Road

Middlebury
,
Connecticut
06762

United States
Coordinates41°31′36″N 73°07′24″W / 41.5267°N 73.1233°W / 41.5267; -73.1233
Information
School typeBoarding and Day
MottoCogitare Agere Esse
(To think, to do, to be)
Founded1909
FoundersMary Robbins Hillard
CEEB code070395
Head of schoolPolly Oppmann Fredlund
Grades9-12
Average class size12
Student to teacher ratio1:4
Campus size146 Acres
Athletics conferenceNEPSAC
SportsSoccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Basketball, Squash, Rock Climbing, Swimming, Rowing, and Softball
MascotWildcat
TeamsWests and Overs
YearbookCoagess
Websitewww.westoverschool.org

Westover School, often referred to simply as "Westover," is an independent college-preparatory day and boarding school for girls. Located in Middlebury, Connecticut, United States, the school offers grades 9–12. [1]

Early history

Historical images of Westover School

Mary Hillard and the founding of Westover

Westover School was founded in 1909 by Mary Robbins Hillard “to provide young women with a liberal education in a community which would contribute to the development of their character, independence and sense of responsibility.” The Main Building and Campus was designed by Theodate Pope Riddle.[2]

The daughter of a clergyman, Mary Robbins Hillard was educated at the Collegiate School for Young Ladies in Waterbury, Connecticut, and at Abbot Academy. She taught at Miss Porter’s School for six years, where she met her lifelong friend, Theodate Pope Riddle. She became Assistant Headmistress of the Collegiate School, and then Headmistress when it became St. Margaret’s.

Because of Miss Hillard’s growing feeling that St. Margaret’s was becoming increasingly hemmed in by the growth of Waterbury, she and her friend Theodate began to plan a new school, west and over the hills from St. Margaret’s. The St. Margaret’s trustees subscribed to the project, and work was begun in 1908. A great square building surrounding an open quadrangle was built in place of an old apple orchard. The first class of students, including all former boarders at St. Margaret’s, arrived at the School in 1909. A number of the leading families in the area maintained their interest in Westover through the years.

"The School Estate consists of homestead, meadow, and woodland. In the general character of the building, the endeavor has been to combine appropriateness with beauty, so that the charm and dignity of the academic and domestic atmosphere shall be an unconscious but elevating influence endearing the place to all coming under its associations." - From Westover's first catalogue [3]

Miss Hillard created many of the ongoing Westover traditions: The West and Over teams, the apple trees in the Quadrangle, the Germans, the Lantern as the School’s symbol, the Lantern Ceremony, Dorcas, and other elements which have been woven into the fabric of Westover life over the years.

“Be quiet and let your spirit fill the buildings." - Theodate Pope Riddle to Mary Robbins Hillard

Notable alumni

This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (August 2022)

References

  1. ^ "Explore Westover School". Niche. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  2. ^ "Westover School". Historic Buildings of Connecticut. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  3. ^ "Westover - The Hillard Years".

External links

Single-gender schools in Connecticut
New England Preparatory School Athletic Council
Authority control databases
Categories