What echoes remain of young women’s dreams within these Austin streets? Today, we stand before the Stuart Female Seminary Plaque. It marks a site of significant educational history. Let’s delve into the story of the Stuart Female Seminary.
The Stuart Female Seminary officially opened in January 1876. It was located at the northwest corner of Ninth and Navasota streets. However, a small group had already met there in September 1875. This was before the school was formally launched. The seminary building itself was a three-story stone structure. It was built in 1875 by physician George Clark Red at a cost of $12,000. Red and his wife, Rebecca K. Stuart Red, operated the school. They arrived in Austin in 1875. Previously, they had taught at Live Oak Female Seminary in Washington County.
Despite growing competition among schools in Austin, the Stuart Female Seminary thrived. The school accepted both boarding and day students. It could house twenty resident students. The seminary had two departments. The primary department admitted boys as day pupils. The other was a collegiate department. Rebecca managed the boarding department. She also served as the principal and a teacher.
The Stuart Female Seminary offered a four-year collegiate course of study. Students could earn a B.A. degree. This was for completing the standard classical course. A B.S. degree was available for completing the scientific course. The B.S. degree included all classical studies except Latin. It also included additional work in English and natural science. The music department expanded as the school grew. Art, modern languages, and physical education were later added to the curriculum.
Although not formally affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, the seminary held religious values. Its mission was to develop Christian character. Bible history was a required course. Weekly church attendance was mandatory for each student. Sunday-afternoon scripture lessons supplemented daily devotional exercises. Rebecca Red even opened a Sunday school in the seminary. This compensated for the lack of one in Austin. It served both seminary pupils and neighborhood children. They met in the building until 1886.
The Red family managed the Stuart Seminary entirely. George Red and his four children served on the faculty at various times. These children were William Stuart, Samuel Clark, Harriet, and Lel. When George Red’s health declined, a board of trustees was appointed in 1881. This was after he died to manage the school. Ashbel Smith became the first president of the board.
Upon Rebecca Red’s death in 1886, her daughter Lel became principal. Lel operated the school with the help of other Red heirs. She also received aid from her husband, Rev. John McLeod Purcell. In 1889, they married. In 1893, an addition doubled the school’s capacity. That same year, the Red heirs deeded the property to the board of trustees. The property was valued at $40,000. This included Rebecca Red’s brother and her sons.
The school closed in 1899. Afterward, the Red heirs joined with the trustees of the defunct Austin School of Theology. They gave the property, debt-free, to the Presbyterian Synod of Texas. It became the site of a school of theology. This was the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. It opened in 1902.
In 1907, the property was sold and transferred several times. By 1926, the Catholic Diocese of Galveston acquired it. In 1951, it became Our Lady of Guadalupe School. It’s unknown how many students attended or graduated from the seminary. Former students of the Live Oak and Stuart seminaries held a reunion in 1943. They sponsored a centennial reunion in 1953.
Now, as we stand before this plaque, remember the Stuart Female Seminary. Think of Rebecca Red and her family. They shaped young women’s lives in Austin. The Stuart Female Seminary Plaque stands as a testament to their dedication. It also honors the pursuit of knowledge and character.